CREAMY SALMON ALFREDO PASTA

Doesn’t the title alone awaken your taste buds.  While on the girl’s junket to Marco Island, FL, Cindy had a birthday and when they got home, I decided to fix her a special BD dinner using our last piece of Sockeye Salmon from the freezer.  The dish I settled on was Creamy Salmon Alfredo Pasta using the recipe from Orchids and Sweet Tea.  I made the alfredo sauce by the blog recipe but I cooked the salmon as shown below.  The original recipe and good pics can be found by clicking on the link above.

Creamy Salmon Alfredo Pasta – Adapted from Orchids and Sweet Tea

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package rigatoni pasta

1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

SALMON:

1½ pound sockeye salmon filet

Salt & Lemon Pepper to taste

Mayo to cover

ALFREDO SAUCE:

1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsps unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, homemade or store-bought

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1½ cups heavy cream

⅓ cup organic vegetable stock/broth

1 cup freshly-grated parmesan

½ cup freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:

BAKE THE SALMON:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and add the salmon.

Season the salmon with salt and Lemon Pepper.

Brush on a thin coat of mayo.

Cook fish to an internal temp of 125F.

Remove from oven and using two forks, gently pull the flesh apart until entirely "shredded" and in medium to large chunks. Set aside. NOTE: If preferred, you can place whole salmon fillets atop pasta without shredding. (Larry did both as Cindy & Bev wanted their salmon on top, and I wanted mine mixed. i

COOK THE PASTA:

Cook pasta according to packaging. NOTE: rigatoni cooks about the same time as other pastas, usually 8-10 minutes, depending on brand.

TO MAKE THE CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE:

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter until melted. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute or so, until fragrant.

Add the salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and flour, stirring until combined.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the heavy cream, and stock, stirring until combined. Let it slightly bubble for 1-2 minutes and then add in the grated parmesan and sharp cheddar, whisking until fully melted and sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.

When the rigatoni pasta is done, drain it, add back to the pot and stir in the sauce. 

Bev and Cindy both wanted their salmon on top so they could eat it separately so I served mine that way as well but then mixed it in.

For the leftovers, I flaked the remaining salmon and mixed it into the pasta that was left.  No pic but it was very good topped with eggs - just imagine the shot above with a couple of fried eggs sitting on top.

The Verdict:

We all thought it was very good and as the only one who ate it per the recipe, I thought it was delicious and would make it again with salmon or other seafood, such as shrimp.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

12/3/23 meal date