Ingredients
Scale
- 3 medium zucchini
- 4 oz mascarpone cream cheese
- 4 oz good decent quality smoked salmon
- 1 lbs short pasta of your choice, I used farfalle pasta from DeCeeco
- ½ cup whole milk, more if needed
- 2 lemons, used for zest and juice plus more for seasoning
- 1 bunch of zucchini blossoms (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set up a medium bowl to hold the zucchini and smoked salmon. Slice the zucchini into uniform rounds about ¼-inch thick. Set up a large non-stick frying pan and add 2-3 tbsps of olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Add the zucchini in batches to fry. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each batch. Flip and continue to fry on the other side until golden brown. Remove to the bowl.
- Tear the smoked salmon in to small bitesized pieces and add to the cooked zucchini.
- Prepare the dressing. Whisk the mascarpone cheese, zest of 2 lemons and their lemon juice and enough milk to make a dressing about the thickness of light yogurt. Taste and season with salt and pepper. This is the main flavor component besides the salmon.
- Cook the pasta. Set up a serving bowl to hold the final dish. Cook pasta until al dente per the package directions. Drain and place in the bowl. Dress with the mascarpone mixture and toss. The dressing will be runny at first but will absorb into the pasta as it cools. When the pasta has cooled down a bit, add the salmon and zucchini and gently fold in to the pasta.
- Taste and season further with salt, pepper or more lemon juice.
- Serve at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.
- When serving the next day, the pasta will like be all stuck together when you remove it from the refrigerator. Let it warm up a bit and add some olive oil and lemon juice to loosen it up.
- Top with sliced zucchini blossoms for that extra touch.