smoked salmon with pasta and peas

 this is a very easy and quick dish to prepare. i usually have most of the ingredients on hand so it can thought of at the last minute. again, some of the ingredients can be substituted.

ingredients:
1 pound of pasta, i used farfalle here but any sturdy pasta cut will do

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup garlic scapes (ok, instead you can use 2 shallots and 2 garlic cloves or a small onion and 2 garlic cloves) i had frozen scapes from last june...
8 ounces smoked salmon ,chopped or torn
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon tomato paste (not necessary but i like the pink tinge it makes)
freshly ground pepper
1 cup petite frozen peas
1 handful arugula, chopped (or parsley)

place a large pot of salted water on the burner and bring it to a boil.
while the water heats, assemble the ingredients
when water is boiling, add the pasta and stirring constantly till it is boiling

 NOW: stir the tomato paste into the cream

 place the oil,wine and garlic, onion and salmon into a large pan and simmer of low

 place the frozen peas in the bottom of the colander in the sink where you will drain the pasta
when the pasta is close to done, add the heavy cream and freshly ground pepper to the salmon.
heat it to a simmer

drain the pasta over the frozen peas

mix the two (pasta and salmon sauce)

toss in the arugula or parsley at the end

                                                                           enjoy!

cheesey pasta with roasted broccoli and turkey breast

this dish is basically a casserole that can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed. at room temperature you only need to bake it for 20 minutes @ 400. if it has been refrigerated, i would lower the oven to 350 and bake for 35-40 minutes

ingredients
12 ounces - 1 pound of pasta, cut or amount not critical
1 pound turkey cutlets, sliced into bite size pieces(chicken could be used)
2 quarts broccoli, washed and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter, could substitute olive oil
6 ounces of shredded cheddar
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper( if you have followed this blog, you know that i added some cajun seasoning ;)
4 ounces shredded parmesan, romano combo or cheese of your choice for the topping

preheat oven to 400 degrees. meanwhile place broccoli into a bowl with the minced garlic and 1/4 cup of olive oil. stir till the broccoli is coated with the oil. dump out on a cookie sheet that has been lined with foil.
bake the broccoli for 20 minutes. remove from the oven, wrap in the foil and set aside. (roasted vegetables have a more intense flavor)

in a large skillet, place the butter and onion. saute until the onion is soft and throw in the turkey. DO NOT OVERCOOK. just saute till it is barely done and then pour in the white wine. bring it to a simmer and remove from the heat.

 cook the pasta until it is just underdone. drain and rinse with cold water, drain and place in a container large enough to hold all ingredients. the pasta will still be warm . add the cheddar cheese. mix, then add the chicken and the broccoli. stir it and adjust the seasonings.

 place it in a lightly greased baking pan. spinkle the remaining cheese on the top and place it in the oven.

                                                                              enjoy!