The Significant Other (SO) had to fly Back East for a family funeral last year. To someone who lives in the Seattle area, Back East means any place on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. It could be Yakima, Nova Scotia, or anywhere in between. In this case, Back East was New Jersey. I was unable to go due to two deadlines I needed to meet at work.
Normally the SO and I split dinner duty, as he enjoys cooking and does it well. (One reason I fell for him.) The added responsibilities can be liberating, as I can bring zucchini into the kitchen without incurring his wrath. I can experiment without hearing his “Hello, Poison Control” schtick. The following was such an experiment:
I had some asparagus in the refrigerator that needed to be used, along with a shallot, a package of Northwest-style smoked salmon, a lemon, and enough penne for me. I made a riff on an asparagus recipe in Andreas Viestad’s book of Scandinavian cooking, Kitchen of Light. I minced the shallot and cut the asparagus into lengths slightly shorter than the penne. I sautéed the shallot and asparagus in butter while the pasta was cooking. After I drained the pasta, I added the salmon and a dollop of Dijon mustard to the asparagus mixture with a little lemon juice, white pepper, and a pinch of dried rosemary needles. I then stirred the penne into the pan with the asparagus, and dinner was served. Salt wasn’t necessary, as the smoked salmon had more than enough for my palate.
The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. You can substitute broccoli or cauliflower for the asparagus. Leftover cooked chicken or fish could stand in for the smoked salmon. Whole grain pasta can stand up to the powerful flavors. Penne and mostaccioli seem to be the ideal shapes to match the asparagus; however, you could use other shapes if that’s all you have in the cupboard. I would cut the asparagus in smaller pieces for shells, fusilli, orecchiette, or elbows. The recipe was good enough to spring on the SO after his return. And he didn’t do his “Hello, Poison Control” schtick.
1 comments
Joy made us something like this, minus the salmon.She used roasted red peppers instead. I always loved the bright colors of this dish. I’ll have to try it again while fresh asparagus can be had at the local produce stand.