Spaghetti with Salmon & Asparagus

This recipe was inspired by a dish served at my local Nordstrom Cafe, Angel Hair Pasta with Salmon and Asparagus. My adaptation of it uses spaghetti in place of angel hair, but either one is totally fine. This dish is easy to throw together, provided you have the ingredients at hand. You'll need fresh salmon, asparagus, parmesan cheese, chives, and a lemon. What I like about this dish is that it tastes really light and fresh, but is also satisfying.  

Some of the ingredients.

Ingredients:

(Yields 2 servings)

• 1/2 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 2 fillets of salmon, cut into large bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
• 10 spears of asparagus, cut into 2-inch lengths
• zest of a lemon
• 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

• Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the package
• Saute the salmon pieces (after seasoning with salt and pepper) in a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat until they are just cooked, slightly pink in the center. 
• Remove the salmon from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the asparagus pieces to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing occasionally. 
• Add the cooked pasta to the skillet along with the salmon and toss everything together. 
• Turn off the heat under the skillet and add the chives, lemon zest, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
• Toss to combine, I recommend using a tongs in order to keep everything in the skillet.  

The finished product. 

If you try out this recipe, be sure to let me know how it turns out! 

Roasted Pepper Pesto

I was really stuck the other night, trying to decide what I wanted for dinner. So, I turned to tastespotting in search of inspiration. I came across this recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Pesto, and made a few changes based on what I had in the kitchen. The original recipe is for a vegan pesto, and while it sounded interesting, I like cheese too much to leave it out of pesto. 

Ingredients:

• A handful of basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (or walnuts)
• 2 tablespoons of sun roasted tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 roasted peppers (skin and seeds removed, I used orange peppers)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil (Extra virgin in best)
• salt and pepper to taste

**These measurements are estimates, you can really add as much or as little as you like and taste as you go along.

Instructions:

• To roast the peppers, place them whole on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Roast at 450F for 20 minutes, turning occasionally so that they char on all sides. Then, cover them with foil and leave them for 10-15 minutes until the have cooled slightly. This makes it much easier to remove the skins. 
• Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. 
• Add more oil to achieve the consistency you like. 

This is what it should look like once you've blended it. 

I cooked some whole wheat fusilli pasta and tossed it with the pesto. I also added sliced tomatoes and parmesan cheese. This pesto is sweeter than the traditional basil pesto, and the roasted peppers give it a slightly smokey flavor. I think it would also be great as a dressing for a cold pasta salad.