ingredients
serves: 6 as a starter, 4 as a main course
1 small onion
6 tablespoons white wine, or white vermouth
13 ounce fresh paglia e fieno, or other narrow yellow and green pasta such as linguine or fettuccine, or 10 ounce dried yellow and green pasta
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound smoked salmon, or smoked salmon trimmings
4 large sprigs of fresh dill
2 tablespoons capers
method
1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the pasta. Peel and finely chop the onion and set it aside.
2. Bring the wine or vermouth to the boil in a skillet and allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir in the chopped onion and cook it until it has softened, then reduce the heat to very low.
3. Add the pasta and some salt to the pan of boiling water and stir it with a fork. Return to the boil, then reduce the heat a little and cook fresh pasta for 4-5 minutes, dried for 10-12 minutes, until al dente.
4. While the pasta is cooking, cut the smoked salmon or smoked salmon trimmings into small strips. Add them to the onion and wine mixture in the skillet and heat them through gently
5. Rinse, dry and roughly chop the dill and the capers. Stir them into the onion and salmon mixture in the skillet.
6. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain it well and transfer it into a large serving bowl.
7. Season the salmon mixture with black pepper to taste (it won't need any salt because the capers are very salty), then spoon it over the pasta. Stir gently and serve. Variations
more information
If you cannot find fresh dill, try mint or flat-leaved parsley instead, while diced green olives or gherkins would make an agreeable substitute for the capers. Serving suggestion Serve the pasta as a starter, or turn it into a substantial main course by adding a mixed green salad or some thinly sliced tomatoes with fennel, black olives and a lemon and olive oil dressing.
