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
1lb.wild salmon fillet
1tablespoonbutter
1teaspoondill
1tablespoonsweet onionfinely chopped
8oz.Barilla multi-grain bow tie pasta
8oz.frozen young peas
½c.prepared pesto sauce
⅔c.lowfat milk
2ouncescream cheeseor Neufchatel*
Instructions
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.
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.
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.