Smoked Salmon With Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

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If you are not confident in the kitchen this smoked salmon with bow tie pasta recipe is the perfect recipe to make for a special occasion. Very easy to prepare with only 4 ingredients and it takes less than 15 minutes. Guaranteed success for an exceptional dine-in experience.

Jump to:

• Why it is so easy
• No cream and no Parmesan
• Perfect for a dinner party
• Type of pasta to use for this dish
• How to make it
• 20 rules to properly cook pasta
• How to serve it
• More salmon recipes you may like
• 📋 Smoked Salmon With Bow Tie Pasta Recipe

Why it is so easy

This recipe is so easy to make, you cannot go wrong. My sons love it so much that they started to make it by themselves at the age of 12.

There are only 4 ingredients: pasta, smoked salmon, butter, and lemon zest. The zest adds a light citrusy contrast to the sweetness of the salmon.

No complicated preparation is needed, you only need to chop the salmon and grate the zest. You can do that while the pasta is cooking, so the entire recipe will take less than 15 minutes to make.

No cream and no Parmesan

Many pasta with smoked salmon add cream, but frankly there is no need for it.

The salmon is already very sweet and the butter adds a light silky texture. The lemon zest gives the perfect final balance to this fresh and delicate dish.

Cream would make the dish heavy and rich, not what I would call a Mediterranean style.

Another very important point is not to serve Parmesan with this pasta dish. Parmesan. or any other strong cheese, doesn’t go with seafood, it is one of the fundamental rules in Italian cuisine.

If the seafood is fresh, the Parmesan will overpower the delicate flavor of the sea, and frankly, why would you want to eat seafood that doesn’t taste like seafood.

There may be some exceptions to the rule, but only if Parmesan is used as a mild flavoring component. (For example, I mix it in the breadcrumbs topping my fish pie.)

In a seafood pasta dish, instead of Parmesan, we often sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs or almonds.

Perfect for a dinner party

At the dinner parties, I am always serving a menu with one or two unique (not every day) ingredients and choose recipes that will not require my time in the kitchen once the guests have arrived.

This dish clicks all the boxes. The smoked salmon gives the pasta a festive tone, and the recipe requires only a few minutes of preparation.

Very simple steps are required:

• Chop the salmon and grate the lemon zest before your guests arrive.
• Cook the pasta while you are serving the appetizers.
• Excuse yourself for a few minutes to compose the dish
• Serve it immediately, while it is still warm

For another quick, easy and refined pasta dish with seafood you can also check: Spaghetti with Bottarga.

Type of pasta to use for this dish

For this dish, I use bow tie pasta, in Italian called farfalle which means butterfly.

I highly recommend using this pasta shape as it perfectly blends with the chopped smoked salmon.

• The size of the bow ties are not too big to overpower the pieces of smoked salmon
• When you use the fork to eat it, the flat shape of the pasta holds the salmon bits in between, creating a perfectly layered bite
• The chunky middle part where the bow ties, adds a nice crunchy texture to the smooth salmon meat

If you do not have bow tie pasta, you can also use spaghetti, linguini or pennette.

Do not use large pasta like rigatoni, conchiglie, or orecchiette as they will overpower the delicate flavor of the salmon.

How to make it

1. While the water for the pasta is brought to boiling point
2. Cut the salmon into small pieces, and put it in a pan with the butter (no cooking yet)
3. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, always 1 minute less than what is recommended on the box.
4. When the pasta is ready, drain it and pour it into the pan with the salmon.
5. Add the grated lemon zest
6. Stir over low heat until the salmon turns a light pink color, takes less than 2 minutes.

7. Transfer into a serving dish and serve immediately

20 rules to properly cook pasta

If you are a novice cook, here are some important points you need to know to properly cook pasta:

1. Pasta should be boiled in salted water, adding salt after doesn’t work
2. Add the salt as soon as you put the pan with water on the heat, so you don’t forget
3. If you don’t remember if you added salt to the water, taste the water
4. Use 1 tbsp of salt per 4 quarts – 4 liters of water which should be enough for 1lb – 500 gr of pasta
5. Make sure the pot is large enough so the water doesn’t overflow once you put in the pasta
6. If you put the lid on the pan, the water will get to the boiling point faster
7. Do not add oil to the water
8. The water should be boiling hot before you put the pasta in
9. Use a good pasta brand. My favorites are (in this order): Rummo, Garofalo, De Cecco. Barilla is my least favorite one but better than any other unknown brands
10. When you add the pasta, the water may stop boiling as the pasta lowers the water temperature. Put the lid on the pan until the water starts boiling again
11. Once the water boils remove the lid otherwise the foam will overflow from the pan
12. Stir the pasta from time to time
13. Keep the heat high so the water boils all the time
14. Always cook the pasta 1 minute less than what is written on the pasta box
15. Taste the pasta and drain immediately when “Al Dente” meaning still firm and chunky
16. Never leave the pasta floating in the water once it is cooked!!!!!
17. As soon as the pasta is drained, season immediately and stir.
18. If for whatever reason the seasoning is not ready, season the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil and stir
19. Once the pasta is ready and seasoned, it has to be served and eaten immediately
20. No parmesan in pasta with seafood, you can sprinkle toasted grated breadcrumbs or almonds

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How to serve it

In Italy, the pasta is served separately from the main course, so if you are having a formal dinner you can serve it after the appetizers and before the main.

If you want to know more about how an Italian meal is structured you can read the article: Italian Sunday dinner: a 6 meal courses.

As the flavor of this dish is very delicate, I would recommend serving it on a menu composed of seafood only.

This smoke salmon with bow tie pasta recipe is very filling, so I would recommend completing the meal with a light main course like sea bream cooked in salt , cod with potatoes or baked salmon with zucchini.

If you are serving it for a light lunch with friends, you can break the Italian rule of the primo piatto (never served with a side dish) and serve it with a rocket salad simply seasoned with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

More salmon recipes you may like

• Scallop, Shrimp, Salmon and Cod Fish Pie with a Mediterranean Twist
• Salmon Tartare Starter
• Blini Russian Pancake with Salmon
• Maki and Uramaki Sushi Rolls Recipe

For more seafood recipes, check out the category: Seafood

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