This is a lovely pasta dish to prepare for summer dining, for it’s both fresh tasting and light. The recipe can easily be doubled for entertaining. Dorothy grows her own cherry tomatoes and basil, and skips across The Mississippi River to Fulton Meat Market for the smoked salmon. It pairs deliciously with any white wine – dry to sweet – from Wide River Winery.
Ingredients
16 cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 tablespoons drained tiny capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil or dill
Finely grated lemon zest of 1 lemon
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, coarsely shredded or torn into smaller pieces
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces penne or farfalle pasta
3-4 ounces of goat cheese
2 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped for garnish
Directions
- In a bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes and capers. Add the basil or dill, lemon zest and smoked salmon, then the ¼ cup of olive oil. Gently fold the ingredients together, season with pepper. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about an hour.
- Shortly before serving, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain the pasta and divide among 4 shallow pasta bowls. Top each portion evenly with the tomato and salmon mixture. Sprinkle each portion with chopped egg and serve immediately.