It's been a busy week at work. I come home exhausted, make a little something to eat and literally pass out on the couch. On the weekends I just want to relax, cook and eat. I'm finding it harder and harder to sit at the computer and write about what I'm cooking. I need to flex my time management skills a little and find a balance between work, rest and play (blogging being play for me).
Despite my busy week so far, I managed to make a delicious dinner. I was flipping through my recent issue of Cook's Illustrated and came across a recipe for spaghetti la limone. Now I'm always a little reluctant when it comes to making Italian recipes taken from any source other than my husband. I find that there is always an ingredient in the recipe that just seems inauthentic, but the writer claims to have eaten this pasta dish in Capri so I will trust the recipe.
I didn't want to eat just a pasta, so I flipped through Cook's Illustrated a little more and found a recipe for glazed salmon. Hmm...lemony pasta with salmon. It sounded like a good match to me.
Spaghetti la Limone
Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots thinly sliced
1/4 heavy cream
zest from one lemon and its juice
1/2 grated Parmesan
small bunch of fresh basil, shredded
plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1 1/2 cups pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and set aside.
In the same pot used to boil the pasta, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute till soft. Whisk in the pasta water and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a few minutes.
Remove pot from the heat and add pasta, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir until pasta is well coated. Drizzle some olive oil and stir again. Serve.
Glazed Salmon
Ingredients:
2 tbs. honey
3 tbs. dry white wine
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. whole grain mustard
1 tsp. cornstarch
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lb. salmon fillet
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the first 5 ingredients over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and continue whisking until thickened.
Place the salmon fillet on an oiled baking sheet. I lined the sheet with aluminum foil to make clean up easier. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spoon over the glaze.
Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the thickest part of the fillet registers 125 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
Happy cooking!
Here is some other writing that I've done in the last week...
Yum! That looks absolutely delicious!
Posted by: Lindsay | 01/27/2011 at 05:33 AM
Looks so fresh and yummy! I love citrus with salmon!
Posted by: foodies at home | 01/27/2011 at 12:19 PM
Looks so pretty. I still havent figured out what exactly to do with my balsamic vinegar..Can you tell me what kind of dishes or ingredients go well with it?
Posted by: zenobia | 01/27/2011 at 06:13 PM
I'm sold on BOTH recipes - the pairing must be fantastic! Thank you for posting... eventually you'll find balance between work amd play.
Posted by: Cakewalker | 01/27/2011 at 07:29 PM
Looks wonderful combination. I'm sure you're glad it's Friday! Have a relaxing weekend.
Posted by: Jill | 01/28/2011 at 02:49 AM
You could use this same glaze on chicken breasts or pork chops. Try varying it a little by adding some cayenne for kick or replacing the honey with brown sugar. Balsamic vinegar is a little sweet so you can also use a splash of it in stir-fries along with soy sauce.
Posted by: Alina | 01/28/2011 at 04:27 AM
Looks delicious! I love anything with lemon!
Posted by: What Happens After Five | 01/28/2011 at 08:29 AM
I really appreciate the simplicity of this dish. But I know it probably has a tone of flavor.
Posted by: Ang | 01/28/2011 at 01:22 PM
I love that glaze on salmon - delicious!
Posted by: Kate @ Diethood.com | 01/29/2011 at 03:20 PM
That looks really awesome, the salmon just looks great!
Posted by: RavieNomNoms | 01/31/2011 at 12:26 PM
Oh, now Im feeling lazy! Im behind on my magazines and I haven't even looked through my latest Cook's Illustrated. This does look like a great dinner combo.
Posted by: Kita | 01/31/2011 at 08:29 PM
Try pouring a dash of balsamic on ripe strawberries and letting them sit a few minutes. Delicious.
Posted by: Ted Wilson | 02/16/2011 at 05:03 PM
I just made the CI recipe for spaghetti al limone tonight. Very tasty. NYTimes had a recipe in 2007 that added dry white wine to the sauce. Next time I'll try that.
Posted by: Ted Wilson | 02/16/2011 at 05:05 PM
Constant Hunger,
The pairing of spaghetti al limone and glazed salmon is inspired, but I didn't think of it. Next time.
Posted by: Ted Wilson | 02/16/2011 at 05:06 PM