Smoked salmon fettuccine with dill and capers

Last week I posted a recipe for prawn spaghetti. This is another of my favourite pasta dishes which is quick and easy to make and always pleases. I would have no reservations about serving this at a dinner party, people always ask for the recipe when they taste it and are blown away when I tell them how easy it is.

The basis of the sauce is much the same as for the prawn spaghetti; a white wine reduction with shallots, lemon juice and capers. While the prawn spaghetti is more of a summery dish, the simple addition of cream transforms the smoked salmon fettuccine into a rich and hearty pasta best enjoyed when it is cold outside.

I use (responsibly sourced) smoked salmon trimmings for this pasta. You could use a higher grade of smoked salmon, but I think it is wasted on such a dish. There is nothing wrong with smoked salmon trimmings, as the fish fanatics online shop explain, “The flavour is just as good as our other Smoked Salmon products but cheaper per kilo as it's not in perfect slices" and by purchasing them you can feel good about doing your little bit for the environment by using bits that would otherwise be wasted.

I use a beurre manié to thicken the sauce  This is not strictly necessary, but it will stick to the pasta better if it is thickened and, as I usually make this when I want something quick, I prefer not to spend time reducing it down. The most important thing when using a beurre manie is to ensure that it has been allowed enough time to cook to avoid a floury taste or texture. This is partly why the recipe suggests that you add just a little at a time and whisk it in thoroughly before adding any more. The other reason is that you may not need it all to reach the desired consistency.

Serves two people as a main course or four as a starter (although I wouldn’t recommend serving this before something too heavy, as it is quite rich).

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 tbsp flour

1 shallot, finely diced

100ml white wine

1 tbsp lemon juice

175ml cream

250g fresh fettuccine

120g smoked salmon trimmings, chopped if necessary

2 tbsp capers

Small handful dill, finely chopped leaving a few fronds to garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Method

Put a large saucepan of water on to boil with a pinch of salt.

To make the beurre manié, put 1 tablespoon of the softened butter with the flour in a bowl and mash together with a fork.

Melt the rest of the butter over a low heat in a medium-sized saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the shallot and cook until pale and translucent (2 to 3 minutes). Turn the heat up to high and pour in the wine. Let it bubble and reduce for about 30 seconds then turn the heat down to medium and add the lemon and cream.

Add a teaspoon of beurre manie to the sauce and whisk it in; the sauce will begin to thicken almost instantly. Continue whisking until the texture of the sauce has stopped changing and add a little more. Continue these steps until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.

Add the fettuccine to the pot of boiling water and cook until al dente (usually 3 minutes). 

Just before the fettuccine is ready, add the salmon trimmings, capers and dill to the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you find that the sauce is too thick once the rest of the ingredients have been added, add a dash more cream at this stage.

Toss the pasta sauce with the fettuccine so that the pasta is evenly coated, divide between two plates (or four if serving as a starter) and garnish each plate with a few dill fronds. Serve immediately.