Name: Penne with smoked salmon and mascarpone
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 200 g/7 oz penne; 150 g/5 oz smoked salmon, cut into strips; 200 g/7 oz mascarpone; 80 g/3 oz semi-dried tomatoes, drained, oil reserved; 100 g/4 oz spinach; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 shallot, finely diced; 3 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatoes; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp each: ground cumin, crushed chili flakes, oregano, salt, black pepper; 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg; 4 tbsp pine nuts; chopped chives, for serving (optional)

Pasta with mascarpone, smoked salmon, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic sautéed spinach. Super easy, creamy and a true flavor bomb. This pasta can be prepared as a quick weeknight dinner or served at a fancy dinner party.⁠ Bonus? The entire dish takes about 15 minutes to throw together.

In this recipe, the surprise ingredient is the smoked salmon. It adds a smoky, salty boost to this dish. When tossed together with the mascarpone and the bright tomatoes, you’ll be left with a great sauce for any pasta, lighter than a typical cream sauce but still silky and rich. We add toasted pine nuts for another marvelous layer of texture and flavor. Serve it with a sprinkle of crushed chili flakes and chopped chives. This is a versatile recipe that can take a rotation in your weekly meal plan. Highly recommended.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

You can use canned salmon or cooked fresh salmon.
Swap the spinach for broccoli, asparagus or kale.
Use any kind of your favorite pasta.
Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes.
Make the dish vegetarian or use smoked bacon and pretend that you created a whole new dish without your family noticing it, that’s what I always do.

Other Delicious Recipes to Try

Cooking Video

Yield: serves 2