Summer is the season of not doing very much to your food to get it looking and tasting great. This pasta uses everything in season and not much else, and it tastes happy and amazing, kind of like if this pasta was an avenger, it’d be spiderman. Think perfectly cooked salmon, zucchini with just a tiny bit of bite, and both fresh and roasted tomatoes to get you that one-two hit of sweetness and brightness, all in something like 15 minutes and zero effort.
Cooking Notes
I peeled the zucchini with a vegetable peeler, which wasn’t a lot of work but was mainly for aesthetic reasons, so feel free to omit this step. I also roasted the salmon with the skin on to protect it, but removed it (and ate it) because I didn’t think the pasta would look or taste as fresh with it around, but feel free to leave it on.
Ingredient Notes
The salmon I used here is wild caught sockeye, which is in peak right now, but use whatever salmon or other fish you like, this is dinner and chill after all.
On the other hand, it’s important to use high quality olive oil (first press or extra virgin) and proper Parmigiano Reggiano (with the laser imprinted rind and heavenly smell) for best results.
What do you need?
A baking pan, nonstick skillet, and a pot to boil pasta in. A microplane is awesome but any old grater will do.
Garnish
Garnish with chopped Italian parsley and lemon zest – I used the same microplane on both the cheese and the lemon without washing in between.
Weeknight summer salmon and tomato pasta recipe
Serves 2
- 1/4lb salmon
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, cubed
- 6oz pasta of choice
- 1/2 cup parmigiano cheese, finely grated
- 1/2 cup olive oil
1. Preheat your oven to 500ºF/broil. In a heatproof baking dish, toss the zucchini, half of the tomatoes, and salmon in 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Broil for 10 minutes, then once done, transfer to a small bowl to cool and pour the remaining pan drippings to a non stick skillet. Optionally remove the salmon skin.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta according to package direction minus 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the pasta to the skillet and add the cheese, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 cup of pasta water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. When the psata water comes to a boil, add the reserved salmon and veg. Flake the salmon and crush the tomatoes. Toss until the pasta is al dente and a glossy sauce forms.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then halve the remaining tomatoes and add to the pan. Give it a final toss and serve.
