Spring Farfalle with Salmon, Leeks, and Asparagus

Serves 4

Pan IconWHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: The combination of fresh leeks and asparagus makes this a recipe perfect for springtime. We complement the two vegetables by making a wine-and-cream sauce and adding salmon, which lends just the rich flavor the dish needs. Although there are several components here, we minimize the cookware needed by cooking the leeks, salmon, and sauce together in our skillet, and we cook the asparagus and pasta together in a Dutch oven. (If added to the pan with the sauce, the asparagus would turn brown because of the wine’s acidity.) Then all we have to do is combine the two components just before serving. See Quick Prep Tip that follows the recipe.

1

tablespoon unsalted butter

2

leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly

2

(6- to 8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, 1¼ inches thick

Salt and pepper

1

cup dry white wine

¾

cup heavy cream

1

pound farfalle

1

pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on bias into 1½-inch lengths

¼

cup chopped fresh parsley

1

tablespoon lemon juice

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Add wine followed by salmon to skillet and cook, covered, until fish is just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer salmon to plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Add cream to skillet and cook until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. When cool enough to handle, break salmon into bite-size pieces, then re-cover with foil.

2. While salmon cooks, add farfalle and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Add asparagus and continue cooking until farfalle is al dente and asparagus is tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain farfalle and asparagus and return them to pot. Add sauce, parsley, and lemon juice to pasta and toss to combine. Gently fold in fish. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve.