Name: Smoked salmon pasta salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 400g fusilli or farfalle pasta; 250g WOH sliced smoked salmon, cut into ribbons; 200g frozen peas, defrosted; 150g full-fat crème fraîche; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 unwaxed lemon, zested and halved; 2 tbsp baby capers, drained; 1 small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped; 1 small bunch fresh chives, snipped; 1 small shallot, very finely diced; Salt for the pasta water; Freshly ground black pepper

The pasta salad that travels well. Cook it the night before, keep the dressing on the side, take it to a picnic, a barbecue, or your own back garden. It actually gets better after a few hours in the fridge. The crème fraîche and lemon dressing stays bright instead of going claggy like mayonnaise does, and the salmon ribbons hold their texture cold. Six big portions out of one bowl. If you’re feeding more, the recipe doubles cleanly.

Ingredients

400g fusilli or farfalle pasta

250g WOH sliced smoked salmon, cut into ribbons

200g frozen peas, defrosted

150g full-fat crème fraîche

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 unwaxed lemon, zested and halved

2 tbsp baby capers, drained

1 small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped

1 small bunch fresh chives, snipped

1 small shallot, very finely diced

Salt for the pasta water

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Cook the pasta in well-salted water to packet timing minus 1 minute. Drain, run under cold water until completely cool, drain again. Toss with 1 tbsp of the olive oil to stop it sticking.

In a small bowl, whisk the crème fraîche with the remaining olive oil, lemon zest, juice of half the lemon, capers, shallot, and most of the dill and chives. Season with black pepper. Taste before salting. The capers and salmon together carry a lot.

Tip the cold pasta into a serving bowl. Fold through the peas, the dressing, and the salmon ribbons.

Scatter the remaining herbs on top. If you're not eating straight away, cover and chill.

Tips from our kitchen

Cook the pasta one minute under packet timing. It firms up as it cools and you don't want it bloated.

Dress within an hour of eating if you can. If it's going to sit longer, keep the dressing in a jar and toss at the destination.

Defrost the peas in cold water, not the microwave. They keep their bite that way.

Smoked salmon pasta salad

Ingredients

Method

Tips from our kitchen

Irish Organic Oak Smoked Salmon by Wrights of Howth

Irish Organic Oak Smoked Salmon 900g with Wooden Serving Platter

Wrights of Howth Smoke House Box

More smoked salmon recipes

Smoked salmon bagels three ways

Smoked salmon fishcakes with caper mayonnaise

Warm new potato and smoked salmon salad

Smoked salmon vol-au-vents

Howth-style scrambled eggs with smoked salmon

Smoked salmon picnic grazing board