Lemon Pasta Puttanesca with Salmon
An unexpected date night at home created this wonderfully delicious pasta. We love the salty and briny flavors balanced with the richness of the salmon to deliver an elevated puttanesca dish. The majority of the ingredients are likely on hand in your pantry, making it quick to pull together!
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 salmon filets, about 4 ounces each
8 oz spaghetti (substitute gluten free if desired)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
1 shallot, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup capers, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
6 Tbsp lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
1/4 cup parsley, stems removed and finely chopped
Red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Pepper
Zest of a lemon
Directions:
Preheat oven to broil. Fill a large stockpot with salted water and bring to a boil. While stove and oven are heating up, prepare sauce.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat until foamy. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots, garlic, ¼ teaspoon each red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until shallots have softened, lowering heat if necessary, ensuring that the butter and garlic don’t brown. Turn off heat and add capers, olives, and 4 tablespoons lemon juice. Cover and let sit until pasta and salmon are done.
Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, 9-10 minutes or according to package directions.
Meanwhile, lay salmon filets on a baking sheet covered with foil. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 6-9 minutes or until salmon is just cooked through. Drizzle 2 tablespoons remaining lemon juice over salmon.
Return skillet with sauce to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer cooked pasta to skillet and toss to coat in sauce. Add parmesan and parsley. Taste pasta for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve salmon filets whole alongside pasta or break them up into smaller pieces and gently mix in. To serve, top pasta with lemon zest, extra Parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper.