Smoked salmon with farfalle pasta in vodka sauce

Smoked salmon with farfalle pasta in vodka sauce: Farfalle pasta bows are best enjoyed with a very thick sauce or dressing. Therefore, smoked salmon and dill with farfalle in vodka sauce makes a meal that won’t have you chasing the pasta around the plate!

Why use vodka in a tomato sauce

Vodka brings out some flavors from the tomatoes that can’t be release with water or fat. It acts as a solvent to bring a different profile to the dish. Vodka is recommended because it usually adds less of a flavor compared to using other alcohols like wine for example.

Not all of the alcohol will burn off when cooking in your tomato sauce.There is in fact a small amount left and although it is often said that vodka is tasteless, it does impart some flavor to the sauce.

The addition of vodka can stabilize your sauce especially when acid is present (from tomatoes for example) and in this case where we have added cream. Cream can separate in water, rendering your sauce quite unattractive. The presence of the alcohol dissolves the fat and stops the cream from eventually separating.

Your vodka sauce will have the taste of vodka but this is what separates this particular sauce from those with a base that includes wine.

Smoked salmon and dill with farfalle in vodka sauce – serves 6 – 8

• 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Shallots, finely chopped
• 8 ounces Smoked Salmon, fillet
• 1 tablespoon Vodka
• 2 x24.28 oz jar or can tomato Passata/puree (not paste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Frozen peas
• Fine sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon Fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 1 pound (dry) Farfalle pasta, cooked al dente

1. In a large pan, melt butter and olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and shallots, and sauté for a minute. Add smoked salmon, stir to combine. Heat the salmon for about 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, using spoon or spatula to flake apart fillet.
2. Deglaze pan with vodka. Once liquid has evaporated, add the tomato, heavy cream and peas. Stir the sauce frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Remove from heat and stir in fresh dill.
5. Toss the sauce with Farfalle pasta.

Related recipes

• how to make a smoked salmon lasagna with spinach
• How to make a pasta bow salad with cherry tomatoes, basil and asparagus
• How to make a simple Italian tomato sauce for pasta – ‘ammoglio’