I absolutely love this pasta. It's a great way to have pasta if you really want it but don't want all the carbs as it's loaded with so many other delicious things such as blistered tomatoes, salmon and lovely asparagus. Also, it tastes fresh, fresh fresh! The tasty homemade pesto and earthy asparagus are just wonderful. I highly reccomend this dish, it's totally worth the effort of making your own pesto too!
Ingredients:
1 lb salmon fillet
2 cups fresh basil leaves that have been washed well
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1/2 teaspoon
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
salt and pepper to taste
pasta (as much or as little as you like)
a handful of skinny asparagus, stemmed and cut into fourths
1 cup baby tomatoes
Method:
Preheat the oven to 420. In the meantime put the basil, pinenuts, olive oil, lemon juice, parm cheese and garlic in a blender and blitz until it's a consistency that resembles pesto. Reserve.
Line a baking tray with tin foil and place the salmon on top. Season with salt and pepper and olive oil. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the fish is slightly undercooked. Let cool and flake with a fork.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to your liking. 1-2 minutes before your pasta is ready add the asparagus. Cook for a minute or two and strain (reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water).
In the meantime, heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan and add the tomatoes. Let them cook on med-high until they start to blister. Reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper. Add the salmon, pesto, pasta and asparagus. Toss well and add some pasta water if you want to loosen it up a bit. Serve with cheese and a sprinkle of chili flakes!