Recipe Archives->Pasta->Puttanesca 17

Penne con Salmone Puttanesca
Serves 4.
                                                                                 
12 ounces penne rigate or other ridged tubular pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
16 ounces skinless center-cut salmon fillets
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely shredded basil leaves

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until it's
barely 'al dente'.  Drain, reserving 1 and 1/4 cups of the cooking
water.  Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of
the olive oil.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper, add it to
the skillet and cook over high heat until browned on both sides but
not cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer the salmon to a plate
and pour off the olive oil in the skillet.  Add the remaining 2
tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet along with the garlic and
crushed red pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the garlic is
lightly browned in spots, about 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and
cook until just softened, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the reserved
pasta cooking water and bring to a boil, gently crushing the tomatoes.
Add the pasta, olives and capers and cook over moderate heat,
stirring, until the liquid is slightly absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add the salmon to the skillet and break it up into chunks.  Cook,
tossing, until the salmon is nearly cooked through and the pasta
is al dente, about 2 minutes; add more of the pasta cooking water
if the sauce is dry.  Stir in the basil, transfer the pasta to bowls
and serve.

Printable version: puttanesca17.txt.