Rachel’s Fa-Fa and Feta and Salmon Pasta
Two fresh salmon fillets, roughly 12 ounces (frozen works too)
A few dashes salt (to taste)
10 ounces farfalle pasta, or whatever kind floats your boat
Five cloves garlic, minced
Roughly fifteen to twenty grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped green onions.
3–4 tablespoons snipped fresh basil leaves (yes, it must be fresh.)
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
A couple of handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
A few drizzles olive oil, you choose how much to use
One 4 ounce package crumbled feta cheese. (I use a garlic and herb blend.)
How To
- Cook pasta according to package.
- Drain, drizzle with olive oil, cover, and set aside. Make sure this stays warm.
- Meanwhile, drizzle olive oil into a medium high heat pan and toss in about half of the minced garlic cloves.
- Cook for about a minute or until the aroma becomes very strong and the garlic starts to soften.
- Sprinkle the salmon with salt.
- Add the salmon to the pan and cook for about five minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Turn the fish occasionally while cooking. Stir in the tomatoes, the rest of the garlic, onions, basil, and peppers. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Right before you think you’re done, toss in the spinach leaves and heat them just enough so they start to wilt. In a large bowl toss together the hot pasta, some olive oil, and the salmon mixture. Top with the feta cheese and enjoy.
I am absolutely delighted with this recipe and I can see this becoming a frequent visitor in our home. The flavors are delightful—just the right hint of subtle mint from the basil, the peppers add a nice light undertone of spice, and the salmon and garlic are a beautiful blend. The grape tomatoes give this dish a surprising burst of roasted sweetness each time you come across one, and the feta … oh my stars, it gets all warm and savory and mmmmmmm. I’m drooling just thinking about it. I’m tellin’ y’all, you have to try this. It’s not often that I go into something skeptically and come out a believer … but y’all … Nathan ate two huge helpings and I finished off one bowl and then went and nipped a few more bites out of the serving dish. Oh, we paired it with a Lindeman’s chardonnay and it was a delectable pairing.