Pasta with Salmon & Spring Vegetables

As summer dawns, I am on a cooking kick in the kitchen.  With the wine bottled and the farm market season kicking into gear, I’m actually finding myself coming home from work at night with a little spare time to actually cook.  And the extra bonus of selling wine at farm markets is that I’ve got great access to locally grown fresh veggies!  I adapted one of my favorite recipes for salmon with pasta to use the veggies that I picked up at the market this week (and my wine).  Enjoy!

Pasta with Salmon and Spring Vegetables

8 oz. dried pasta (bowtie, corkscrew, or radiatore) 2 tbs butter 3 tbs shallots, finely chopped 1 Cup Aaronap Cellars Northeast by Northwest white wine 1 tbs Lemon juice 2 small carrots, cut in half and thinly sliced 1 small zucchini, cut in half and thinly sliced 2 tbs fresh dill or ½ tsp dried dill Salt and pepper 1 lb salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces ½ cup peas 2 small plum tomatoes, seeded & chopped ½ Cup Heavy Cream 1) Heat pasta water to boiling. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain when al dente. 2) Melt butter in a large skillet & sauté shallots for 2 minutes. 3) Add wine and lemon juice. Turn heat to high & reduce volume by half. 4) Add carrots, zucchini, dill, salt, & pepper. Cook over medium heat for ~2 minutes. 5) Add salmon pieces & peas. Cook 3-4 minutes, turning salmon pieces so they cook evenly. 6) Add tomato pieces & cream. Stir to mix and heat until warm. 7) Pour cooked pasta into a large warm serving bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and toss gently so salmon pieces stay intact. 8) Top with some extra fresh dill and serve immediately with a glass of wine! No picture with this one–I was too hungry!  The floral notes and full-body of the Northeast by Northwest blend of chardonnay and viognier matched  perfectly with the richness of the salmon and creamy sauce.  The discerning wine drinker will detect a hint of fresh herby hay in the wine that really accentuates the dill in the sauce.   Cheers, Noel, winemaker]]>