Fettuccine with Salmon and Arugula

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Taking a little departure from our series on hor d’oeuvres for the holidays to bring you this scrumptious treat from the pasta department.  I really love this particular recipe because it pairs fettuccine, one of my favorite pasta types, with salmon, another favorite food group of mine.  Over the years I’ve made several salmon pastas, but I keep coming back to this one because for one, it's super big on flavor, and B, it’s not heavy or rich, which means I can eat even more than I might otherwise, which can, at times, be quite impressive.  

So not only are we talking salmon and fettuccine here, but arugula and capers and lemon, lovely herbs and wine, and are you hungry yet?  Oh, well let me mention that there is a little butter in here too.  I knew that would get you.  Wait no more.  Fettuccine with salmon and arugula is here for you.  Well, it was....

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FETTUCCINE WITH SALMON AND ARUGULA

Printable Recipe

You can easily substitute a 14-oz can of diced tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes and chicken broth is a fine stand-in for the clam juice.

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

2 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 1/3 cups dry white wine

½ cup bottled clam juice (or chicken broth)

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. dried marjoram or fresh

1 ¾ pounds skinless salmon fillets, cut into ½ inch pieces

3 cups loosely packed fresh arugula

2 T drained capers

salt and pepper to taste

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 T chopped fresh basil

12 oz fettuccini

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter with olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic; sauté 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes and cook just until tender about 5 minutes.  Increase heat to medium high.

Add wine, clam juice, lemon juice and marjoram; simmer 5 minutes.  Add salmon and simmer until almost cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add capers and fresh herbs.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine 1 or 2 minutes less than the package directions, drain and add to the sauce in the pan.  Stir to coat the pasta and cover with the lid.  Let the pasta sit in the sauce for 5-10 minutes to allow it to finish cooking and absorb the sauce.  Stir in the arugula and a good handful of grated parmesan cheese.  

Drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan and a dusting of fresh, chopped parsley. Serve with extra grated parmesan and a dusting of fresh, chopped parsley.