Pasta with fresh salmon and peas

Hello everyone, what a relief for those of us in Sydney that the rain has gone away and we can finally see blue sky! I am particularly pleased for my cat, whose twenty year old bones really like having the sun on them. I used to think she was old when I was under the impression she was four years younger than she actually is, but now that I know her real age I realise she is very old and needs all the comfort she can get. Such as sharing the salmon I cooked last night for this week's dish.

The recipe I'm giving you is based on one in my Heart Of The Home book. They used smoked salmon, of which I'm not a fan, so I substituted fresh salmon. And although the thought of the cream in it was VERY appealing, given my ever present quest to lose just a few kilos, I used evaporated milk instead, which worked well, surprisingly. You can use cream if you prefer!

Have a great week and enjoy the long weekend. I'm planning to do lots of long, slow baking and hope to test another crumble recipe to share with you.

Love from Jane xxx

Pasta with fresh salmon and peas

Serves four

What you need:

• 500g fresh salmon
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 3/4 cup dry white wine or verjuice
• 4 tablespoons shallots, finely sliced
• 1 1/4 cups thickened cream or evaporated milk, depending on the state of your waistline and whether you care!
• 400-600g pasta, fresh or dried
• 4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

What you do:

1. Cook the salmon, either in a pan on the stove or baked in the oven.
2. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
3. Drop the peas into a pan of boiling water until thawed; drain and set aside.
4. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta while preparing the sauce.
5. Put the wine/verjuice and the shallots in a pan on the stove and bring to the boil.
6. Allow the wine/verjuice to reduce by about a tablespoon.
7. Lower the heat and add the cream/evaporated milk; simmer for about five minutes. (Keep an eye on it as it can separate if overheated).
8. Gently break up the cooked salmon into chunks and add, with the peas, to the sauce. Warm through.
9. When the pasta is cooked, place it in a serving bowl and pour the sauce with the salmon over it.
10. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and toss gently before serving.