Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta and a Recap

Two matters of business today! First, a recipe that I posted about a year ago, but seeing a similar one featured in my Martha Stewart email blast, confirmed that it’s definitely a winner in the Everyday Dinner category and deserves another mention 🙂 This deliciously colorful main dish is packed full of the nutritional benefits of salmon and multi-grain pasta, and, if you keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer, you probably have all the ingredients, except the salmon, on-hand. Speaking of well-stocked pantries, brings me to the second order of business: a little recap of the virtual cooking class that I participated in last week.

Last Wednesday, I joined several other amazing food bloggers as a cohost on the fourth virtual Cooking Connections class sponsored by The Motherhood, in partnership with ConAgra Foods. The class focused on Creating an Efficient Kitchen and the main talking points were:

• Setting up your kitchen for success
• Meal planning and grocery shopping
• Organizing your recipes
• Money-saving tips
• Freezing and food storage
• Getting creative with leftovers
• Efficient clean-up

The tips and suggestions flew fast and furious for the entire hour-long session, kudos  to the three amazing hosts who managed the flow: Tricia Callahan (Once A Month Mom), Sommer Collier (A Spicy Perspective) and Jodi Grundig (Mom’s Favorite Stuff).

If you feel like you could use a little help in any of these areas,the summary of the class, along with helpful videos on these topics, are available for you to check out at your convenience. I think you’ll find some great suggestions. I learned so much myself and thought the freezing and food storage tips were especially useful to busy moms or folks who like to enjoy a home cooked meal but don’t always want to cook every night. I’ve included the video, but use the link above for more great tips.

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Salmon with Peas and Bow Tie Pasta

A creamy without the calories, colorful main dish packed full of the nutritional benefits of salmon and multi-grain pasta.

Servings: 3 -4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb. wild salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 1 tablespoon sweet onion finely chopped
• 8 oz. Barilla multi-grain bow tie pasta
• 8 oz. frozen young peas
• ½ c. prepared pesto sauce
• ⅔ c. lowfat milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel*

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. You can use the pasta pot that has been lightly sprayed with oil to keep the pasta warm.
2. Preheat broiler on high. Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry with a paper towel. Dot with butter, sprinkle with dill and chopped onion. Place on baking pan lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil. Broil for 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness, until salmon is lightly browned and crisped on top and flakes with a fork. Do not overcook – it’s better to be underdone – the fish continues to cook after its removed from the oven, plus it will be cooked again when mixed with the pasta. Allow the fish to cool and use a fork to flake off bite size pieces.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over med-high heat, mix the pesto and milk, bring to a gentle boil, whisk in the cream cheese or neufchatel to thicken. Feel free to increase these quantities if you prefer lots of sauce. Microwave the frozen peas for 2½ minutes, drain. Combine all the ingredients with the pasta in the large pot. Mix well to coat with sauce. I topped with caramelized onions (half an onion, sliced onions and sautéed in a little butter until browned) but this is optional.

Recipe Notes

*Neufchatel is slightly lower calorie than cream cheese and is sold in the same section of the market.

Enjoy 🙂