Thursday, January 6, 2011

Pasta with Salmon & Cream

Canned cooked salmon often shows up in my recipes. This is a good change of pace from canned tuna. Pre-cooked salmon may not make a great "tuna" type salad, but it's milder in flavor and I think it goes better with pasta. And cream is good in anything.


I picked up some fat free half & half recently because it was on sale at my local 99c only Store, and was surprised how good it tasted. Canned or packaged salmon is almost always stocked.

This entree is quick and easy to assemble. Just boil water for the pasta and by the time the pasta is al dente, the cream and salmon sauce is ready.

The advantage of sometimes cooking with only canned or packaged ingredients is the convenience - my Pasta with Salmon & Cream is the kind of dish you can make at the last minute, almost anytime.

Ingredients (serves 1-2)
  • Small can or packet of cooked salmon - 4 to 7 ounces.
  • 1 cup (half pint) of cream, half & half or whole milk.
  • 1/2 package (about 8 ounces) of pasta - any favorite.
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
  • 1 tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese - fresh or dried.
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon of oil

Directions
Add chopped garlic to hot oil in large saute pan. Stir and cook for a minute, and be careful not to burn. Pour in cream or milk. Add dried parmesan and mix well. Heat to a low simmer for about 5 - 7 minutes, continue stirring.

Add canned or packaged salmon. Break apart salmon but leave chunky. In some canned salmon there is often a center bone you may want to pick out and remove. 

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. I usually begin boiling water in a large pot at the beginning of this recipe; and add pasta to water during the simmering of the cream sauce. When pasta is done, drain and add directly to cream and salmon sauce. Mix well and serve.

I've noticed that when you store Pasta with Salmon & Cream leftovers, the pasta soaks up all of the sauce. So if you microwave it later, just add a tablespoon of milk or cream.

8 comments:

Dinahsoar said...

Simple and perfect--canned salmon is a staple at our house. It's a little salty but the health benefits and the dollars saved justify that.

Nice dish--surprised that the fat free half and half held up to the simmering. Happy about it though since I've been fat phobic due to the misinformation disseminated about fat back in the 90's. I gained 50 pounds eating fat free and watched my cholesterol sky rocket. Still today, knowing that fat is not the culprit I once thought it was--and that good fat is, well, good for us--I'm scared to death of cream in any recipe. Nice to know I can safely substitute and get a nice result.

99 Cent Chef said...

hi Dinah, fat free was the only type of cream on sale that day so I took a chance, it's not bad!

Skyler said...

This is a great blog! I wish my town was full of 99 cent stores. I love how you use cheap ingredients to make a wonderful meal.That's what I am sll about as well. I encourage you to check out my blog, where I reat cheap dishes for busy singles. I find it is hard to cook for just one person, so I am sharing my budget friendly meals with other busy singles. The blog is

http://afantasteticfoodblog.blogspot.com/

Thanks! I would love comments.

Lynn Woes said...

Yum sounds like a great recipe. We get the small cans of cooked salmon through WIC. I'm usually using it to make salmon patties this looks like a great new recipe to try! I'm so glad WIC started offering canned salmon in my area. I think its one of the healthiest proteins we can have.

99 Cent Chef said...

hi Kystrel, good luck with your cheapie blog!

99 Cent Chef said...

Hi Lynn, I have a few canned salmon recipes, including a Salmon Enchilada -- just type "salmon" into search window at top left of my blog page to see them :-P

Mike Burns said...

Are you sketched out at all by 99cent salmon?

99 Cent Chef said...

It's tasty, as safe as canned tuna?

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