Capellini with Salmon and Lemon-Dill Sauce

This is more of a winter dish: it simmers down for a long time, making a thick, rich sauce. And keeps the room warm (not really something necessary in September in Kansas, but whatever). The sauce tastes so deeply of cream, with a hint of the lemon and dill. And in honestly, while rich, the sauce quotient is low so is just enough to coat the pasta and salmon (no puddles of sauce on the plate, hurrah!). Something I tried once and loved, so keep making even when the weather is more than warm outside.

Quick note: Gourmet piggy-backed this with a recipe for roasted salmon, recommending that you use the leftover salmon for this pasta recipe. I'll make it when I have salmon leftover from a meal, but more often than not I will just pop a few foil-wrapped fillets in the oven for 20 minutes. Works like a charm.

Capellini with Salmon and Lemon-Dill Sauce

(adapted from Gourmet, June 2005)

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/3 c. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped fresh dill

1 1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

2 c. flaked broiled salmon

10 oz. capellini (angel-hair pasta; about two thirds of a 1-lb box)

Cook onion in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened (but not browned), about 6 minutes. Add broth, cream, and salt and boil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in dill, lemon zest and juice, and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce, then add salmon to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat until fish is just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

While fish is heating, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente.Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to pot, then toss with reserved sauce and cooking water. Serve pasta immediately with fish and sauce spooned over the top.