Yesterday was a blur of laundry and settling disputes between a certain 5-year-old and her little brother. But cooking is therapeutic, and when therapy finishes with large chunks of salmon in a spicy, creamy sauce, well, sign me up!
And let's face it: pasta is just plain yummy. But I understand cutting out or cutting back on gluten, and you can use whatever pasta you want in this dish. I haven't cut out wheat altogether, but I have almost eliminated white flour. On the occasion that I have visited a large supermarket, I might use one of those low-glycemic impact pastas, but really I am just trying to use food that has been processed as little as possible. So real pasta, with few ingredients, wins.
This recipe is a mashup of a vodka sauce recipe from long ago that has been adapted so much it doesn't much resemble the original, and a dish that I had at a company party in 1996. It was a summer job I had during my college years, and I was a temp, but I was somehow in good enough that I got an invite. Open bar, plus what can only be described as a wall of shrimp cocktail, plus "Wacky Wendy," a paper artist who could cut a custom hat out of paper circles while she was talking to you. I got a Grateful Dead skeleton sitting on an armchair, playing guitar and wearing a top hat. My date had a hat that looked like Satan. It was a party to end all parties. And then there was this pasta, in a blush sauce, with big, succulent chunks of salmon. Oh, baby.
But these pictures are reminding me to put batteries in my real camera, because the phone is just not cutting it.
So let's talk tomatoes. You need a brand you can trust. If you can your own, well, awesome. I'm not Canning Mom yet. Maybe at some point I will work up to that status. So, those fancy imported Italian tomatoes are great, but here I've used good old... you guessed it... Trader Joe's. I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Trader Joe's. Well, it is healthy, but I do go overboard sometimes. The healthiness of the "real food" at TJ's is what helped me to lose 50+ pounds this past year. But there are times that I just can't shut up about TJ's. I pray regularly that I might be as bold about my faith in Jesus as I am about my groceries. Because I love Jesus way more than organic produce, but sometimes I am outspoken for the lesser cause. I have to remind myself that it is only food, and I can find a balance.
I only mention the TJ's tomatoes because they don't have added salt, but they do have basil. And TJ's does not use BPA in their can lining. Okay, I'm done. Let's make this delicious recipe.
So you cook the garlic and red pepper flakes (I used closer to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, because my family likes things with a kick) in a little olive oil for a few minutes. The point is for them to release their oils and become fragrant, but not brown. At the point where you think the garlic just might start turning brown, pour in a little of the juices off the top of the tomatoes, and this will buy you a little time.
Using your hands, break up the tomatoes and get them in the pan, along with the rest of the juices. Add some salt and agave syrup, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Start your water boiling for the pasta and preheat your broiler.
My salmon was cut into smaller filets, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you season it properly with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Broil the salmon, let it sit for a couple minutes, and then break it into chunks. I like a little bigger than bite-sized. It makes things a little more interactive. :)
At this point, your water should be boiling and ready to accept the pasta. Eight ounces of pasta is plenty! Remember your portion control. Also at this point, you should taste your sauce to see if it needs a little more salt.
Add the vodka to the sauce and simmer. Add the cream to the sauce and simmer. You can use half-and-half or a mixture of cream and milk if you want, just don't use all milk or it will curdle. Turn off the heat. Drain your pasta and add it, along with the parsley and salmon.
Dish it up and sprinkle with parm and more parsley. Enjoy! I serve mine with some steamed veggies. The kids love broccoli and were intrigued by the baby zucchini. Not so much the little pattypan squash. :( Oh well.
Penne and Salmon in Volka Blush Sauce - Serves 4
Ingredients:
EVOO, salt, and pepper
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 t. agave syrup
1 lb. salmon filet
8 oz. whole wheat penne
3 T. vodka
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving
shredded parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions:
1. Heat 1 T. EVOO in a large skillet over low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 3 minutes, but do not let garlic brown. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, using your hands to break up the tomatoes. Add the agave syrup and 1/2 t. salt. Bring to boiling, and then lower heat again and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a pot of salted water to boiling for the penne. Preheat the broiler. Season the salmon with a drizzle of EVOO, salt, and pepper. Broil salmon until it flakes easily with a fork, about 12 minutes. Cut or break into chunks. Cook the penne in the boiling water until al dente and then drain
3. Add the vodka to the tomato sauce and simmer 5 more minutes. Add the cream and simmer 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Stir penne and parsley into the sauce. Fold in salmon chunks. Top with parmesan and more parsley.
In other news, I have a work-in-progress to share for WiP Wednesday... Baby H's quilt top is almost done! It took me no time at all, except for the crazy hours of trying to fix the tension problems I was having with my sewing machine. The quilt itself has come together in about 20 minutes a day for just a few days. I am using a fat-quarter quilt tutorial that I got
here.
The fabrics are a 4-fat-quarter bundle that included the brown, red, blue fabrics as well as the orange butterflies. I added the cats and the orange geometric flowers. All were from Joann, as I am too lazy/cheap/new at this to order fabric online.
Which leads me to the fact that I am in lerve with the fabrics for Baby Chan's quilt, although it isn't truly a WiP. More like a sunny daydream. And I'll have to put batteries in my real camera so you can appreciate the colors. Argh!
