Recipe: Pasta with salmon, cream and white wine

With hot-smoked salmon, a splash of wine and a slosh of cream, this is not your average pasta and sauce. It’s easy to make, however, and turns a desperate after-work dinner into something that feels much more luxurious.

Serves: 2 generously

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 10-12 minutes

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ cup frozen peas
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150g hot-smoked salmon, flaked into pieces
• 150–200g dried pappardelle or fettuccine pasta
• handful of pea shoots or fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

While you’re waiting, melt the butter in a small pot set over a medium heat. Add the leek and water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally.

Add the frozen peas, lemon zest and wine and let it come to a simmer.

Add the cream and season well with black pepper, then turn off the heat. Add the salmon and set aside.

When the water boils, add the pasta and a generous amount of salt.

Cook until al dente — about 10-12 minutes or according to the packet directions — then drain, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water.

Stir the cream sauce through the cooked pasta, adding a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it as necessary. Garnish with pea shoots or finely chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately.