I made a very simple dish for lunch yesterday.
I really like pasta since it is so versatile and can stand up to just about any flavors.
I had a side of salmon that I had baked in the oven the night before and so when I learned that I have guests for lunch, I decided to make pasta with the salmon and some asparagus that I had blanched.
First for a simple tomato sauce:
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 Tbs. red pepper flakes
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
Salt to taste
1 16 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes.
Heat the oil gently in a pan and add the garlic, fennel and pepper flakes. Cook on the lowest heat possible for the garlic and other spices to impart their flavor into the oil.
Next add the can of tomatoes and about 2 cups of water. I crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to get a chunky sauce. Add salt to taste and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
In the meantime, boil the water for the pasta and cook it.
In a separate pan, I crisped the salmon skin that I had removed. This is an optional step. I like the flavor that the crispy skin adds to the dish.
Heat through the cooked salmon and the asparagus.
When the pasta is still quite al dente, add it to the tomato sauce and stir well. Cook till the pasta is cooked to the desired consistency.
I added some chopped fresh spinach because I had it laying about.
Serve the pasta in a large bowl with the salmon and asparagus mixture on top of the pasta.
Serve with some crusty bread and a good olive oil to dip the bread.
I hope that you try this dish and play around the flavors and ingredients.
Until I cook again!
Indian Culinary Center, NYC 