Sometimes it’s the simplest recipes that knock it out of the park. I accidentally created this smoked salmon penne with lemon parmesan crumb because I wanted something like a pasta bake but couldn’t be bothered with all the effort of a white sauce (not to mention the cleaning up, or the calories!). So this delicious creation was born out of pure laziness and ingredient availability – although I am not confessing to having the highest quality smoked salmon in Perth in my fridge each week (that was a happy accident)… but I do keep the obvious basics like pasta, breadcrumbs, lemon, cream and dill on hand!
What I do consider to be a bit of a stroke of genius in this dish is that it involves making the toasted crumb separate to the pasta itself. Insert shock face emoji here! What it means is that you can control the cooking time and therefore the browning of the topping, so you can toast it to perfection and not have to worry about it burning in the event your bake doesn’t cook as quickly as planned. And, you can make it while all the other ingredients are being prepared. Time-saving with guaranteed results, what’s not to love!? I’m going to be oven-baked crumbling the life out of everything from here to eternity and I imagine you will too after you try this…
Why I make this again and again
This recipe has truly become a family staple. In part, because it contains my son’s three favourite things, pasta, cheese and bread (clearly this is a child of a French man), but also because it’s such a light pasta dish it can be served on any everyday menu and can even be eaten cold like a pasta salad the next day.
I use wholemeal pasta because I like the illusion that I’m keeping my son away from diabetes culture by feeding him whole grains, and for some reason this ingredient combination lends itself well. I’m also always up for an excuse to celebrate smoked salmon with my accidentally posh palate these days, but I do think you could easily add regular cooked salmon and have a pretty decent results as well.
“More…”
Oliver Beuzeboc
Open up your store cupboards and get ready for a seriously simple but epically tasty culinary adventure.
Also Read: Blackened salmon with burnt lemon butter
Not all salmon is super…
Factory-farmed salmon, whilst cheaper and more readily available can be a little lacking in both flavour and quality, that’s why, when we are feeling flush we try to buy wild salmon when we can. No shame here if it’s not within the family budget, but it’s good to know what you’re paying for when you can go wild:
- Omega-3 Richness: Wild salmon takes the omega-3 game to a whole new level. With their natural diet of smaller fish and aquatic organisms, wild salmon are like the health gurus of the sea, containing very high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. These good fats do wonders for your heart, brain, and overall well-being, hence the reason we are all chowing down on so much fish (and particularly salmon) these days.
- Colorful Character: Wild salmon gets its vibrant color the old-fashioned way – by chowing down on a diverse diet in the open ocean. The result? A rich, natural hue that’s like a color explosion on your plate. Farmed salmon gets a little help from artificial additives to achieve that same effect.
- Muscle-Bound and Proud: The only creature on Earth who actively chooses to swim against the current instead of with it. Hence this intensively active lifestyle translates to firmer, leaner flesh – and a texture that’s more satisfying to the human palate.
- Flavorful Adventures: All of these things combined makes for a richer and more complex flavour experience.
- Environmental Harmony: Choosing wild salmon is better for the environment and it often means eating local and seasonal. Wild salmon also spend their lives in their natural habitat, contributing to the balance of marine ecosystems. On the flip side, fish farming can have negative effects on local ecosystems, like water pollution and potential threats to biodiversity due to the escapees from farmed fish into the wild.
Just to be clear, I ain’t judging you if you neither have access to or the funds for wild salmon, (plus sometimes it’s just not that easy to come by) but if you are lucky enough to be able to treat yourself with it, you’re certainly in for a flavour sensation and you can feel good about the added benefits to your health, palate and the planet.
A note on ingredients:
This recipe is meant to be made with store-cupboard staples. Apart from the salmon, there ain’t nothing fancy about it, and I highly recommend keeping it that way. Then, you’ll really feel inclined to work it into your regular recipe rotation.
Pasta: Usually I would say fresh is best, but in this case I’m going to tell you wholemeal penne really is your jam. If you have the patience and proficiency to make that from scratch then Godspeed to you and please let me know when dinner is ready, but you’ll get away with the packet variety here, so I’d suggest you save your energy for another more complex cook, you keen bean you.
Salmon: I’ve already said too much, but we use Harris Wild Smoked salmon and if I was ever to wear fish as a face mask, I think this would be the one that convinces me. For now, I just revel in its intensely rich flavour and serve it on special occasions. If you have a wee one however, who’s not up for the smokey goodness, you may be able to get away with regular cooked salmon. I’ve not tried it but I think it would work, it would just provide a slightly milder flavour.
Dill: If you’re using fresh, double it, but dried is 100% fine here! Remember storecupboard simplicity is the name of the game.
Breadcrumbs: Any old will do, and I really mean that, you’re going to be flavouring it anyway. If you are going to try gluten-free though, stay away from the rice-crispie based ones, they’ll burn quick and the flavour will be lackluster.
Parmesan: There’s no need to use a 200-year-aged version here, this is a feed em’ up family favourite that shouldn’t cost you the Earth. I’m sure it won’t hurt to use this delicious joy however, but it’s not necessary to get a super tasty result.
Hot tips: A Few Secrets
- Pasta needs to be al dente, it’s a dry-ish pasta dish and the mushy consistency of overcooked pasta doesn’t really lend itself as well.
- Whilst breadcrumbs don’t necessarily matter, I should preface this by saying mine are usually made from whatever incredible bread I’ve been inspired by recently that we didn’t get to eat in time, which I’ve usually ground up stale and frozen for a later date… so it doesn’t matter, but good bread always maketh the meal hunney, and that’s one thing I don’t ever recommend going cheap with.
- Don’t try to cook the pasta and then bake the breadcrumbs on top. It’s a guaranteed way to burn the goods.
- Add more cream if you prefer a less dry consistency. Add less if you just want to celebrate that crunch.
- Don’t skimp on the lemon rind, you can’t use lemon juice here as it will make the breadcrumbs gloop together and not crisp up properly. It’s fine to juice it up at serving time though.
Other than that, get your boiling pots out and your taste buds ready and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments and on social!
Smoked salmon penne with lemon parmesan crumb
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 baking tray
Ingredients
For the crumb
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (250 grams)
- 1/2 cup parmesan (grated finely)
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon rind
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the pasta
- 500 grams wholemeal pasta
- 100 grams smoked salmon (chopped into small pieces )
- 1 tbsp dried dill (or 2 tbsp fresh chopped fine)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 pot fresh cream
- 1 whole lemon chopped into quarters for serving
Instructions
For crumb
- Cover a baking tray in baking paper and set oven to 180dregreeC
- Mix ingredients in the desired vessel and then place on the baking tray. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden on top – be careful not to burn it.
For the pasta
- Boil the pasta for a good 20 minutes or until al dente (wholemeal always takes longer, but go with your regular 12 min if it's white pasta)
- Drain your pasta once cooked, move back to the pot and then stir through all the ingredients except the crumb.
- Serve the pasta straigh away with the crumb generously sprinkled on top. Add a slice of lemon at serving time and extra parmesan if you please.
Did you make this recipe?
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Until next time. Keep following, liking, sharing, commenting and cooking, and may your every spoonful be tastier than the last!
