Smoked Salmon Pasta with Pine Nuts

I've fallen in love with the ease of dishes made with smoked salmon. The huge boost of flavor the salmon adds to the meal is wonderful, but best of all the cooking time is minimal. This meal came together quickly for a weekend lunch. My husband really enjoyed this, despite the fact that pasta is not one of his favorite foods. My youngest son and I loved it as well.

Smoked Salmon Pasta with Pine Nuts
recipe slightly adapted from Simply Recipes
Yield: Serves 3-4

8 ounces angel spaghetti, I used a brown rice pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced small, about 1/3 cup
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons lemon zest, divided into 1 tablespoon and 1 tablespoons
1 handful fresh parsley or dill, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
4-6 ounces hot smoked salmon, flaked or chopped into bite size pieces
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt

Bring a pot of water (at least 4 quarts) to a boil and generously salt it with about 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions and then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. While the water is heating, brown the pine nuts. Place them in a single layer in a large skillet over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, let them cook just until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.

In the skillet that you used for the pine nuts, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, cooking just until the onions soften and the pan is fragrant. Add the wine and stir. Let the wine reduce slightly and then add the cream, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Let this cook 1-2 minutes, until it slightly reduces. (If the pasta is not yet cooked, remove the skillet from the heat until it is ready.)

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat well. Add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water if it is too dry. Add the smoked salmon, pine nuts, parsley and 1 more tablespoon of lemon zest. Toss again and remove from the heat. Season with pepper and serve with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!

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