Penne with Smoked Salmon and Fresh Herbed Ricotta

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Some girls get excited over a really cool designer sample sale or a nice find on a pair of jeans at Rue La La. I do too. But what gets me really, really excited is when someone gives me a sweet little package of freshly caught wild salmon that has been smoked with loving care. My fellow foodies, I know you understand this. When my mom's neighbors bestowed this gift upon me (thanks, Bob and Sharon), I put it in my freezer and knew I would have to do something special with it. So, it's been in there for awhile, burning a little hole in my brain. Sounds painful, I know, but really it's just part of the process. Anyway, another little foodie find I recently made is fresh ricotta. I also had some of this in the fridge. Now, I'd never been a big fan of ricotta cheese. I'm talking about the stuff our moms used to get when they made lasagna--you know that powdery, flavorless stuff that comes in the tub. I never saw the point, really. But, if you haven't already, you've GOT to try some fresh ricotta (if you want to be all authentic like Giada, say it like ri-COAT-a) . It tastes, well, fresh! So, I thought, why not combine the two. I must say, the result was fabulous! If you can't get your hands on freshly caught smoked salmon, by all means buy some and slice it into ribbons before tossing with the pasta. It will still be fabulous!

*note: you can find fresh ricotta at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods

Behold the beauty!

In the bottom of your serving dish, gently flake the salmon, being careful to remove any bones. Chop your herbs (I used basil and chives) and zest a lemon.

Combine the ricotta, herbs, and lemon zest with some freshly ground black pepper and smoked sea salt (or kosher salt).

Add a little squeeze of lemon juice.

Cook the penne in salted water (Mario Batali says your pasta water should be "salty like the sea.") and reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Stir the pasta water into the ricotta mixture (just enough to thin it out a bit...you don't want it to be runny).

Toss the hot, cooked pasta over the salmon and stir in the ricotta. Garnish with the remainder of the herbs.

That's it! Really couldn't be more simple. 

We enjoyed this with a glass of Stainless Chardonnay from Chamisal Vineyards (one of my faves here in the Edna Valley).

Penne with Smoked Salmon and Fresh Herbed Ricotta

serves 6

6 oz. smoked salmon

14 oz. fresh ricotta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil + more for garnish

2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives + more for garnish

1/2 tsp smoked sea salt (or kosher salt)

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 lb. penne pasta

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, n the bottom of your pasta serving dish, flake the salmon, being careful to remove any bones.

Combine the basil, chives, salt, pepper, zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the pasta water and stir to combine (it should thin the cheese mixture slightly, but shouldn't be runny).

Add the pasta and ricotta mixture to the serving bowl and toss to combine.

Garnish with the remaining herbs.

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Herb-Baked Eggs

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Yay...it's Spring! Such a great time of year. Brings to mind a whole new crop of veggies at the farmer's market (time to bust out some asparagus recipes...stay tuned) and, of course, eggs. This is one of my favorite egg recipes and would be a great brunch item for a smallish group. This is the kind of thing I would make if I had my mom or a friend over; I'd serve it with some toasted french bread, simple greens with vinaigrette, and maybe even a little glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a Mimosa.  Out with some good gossip and it's the perfect afternoon!

This is a basic recipe, adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris cookbook; this one uses thyme, rosemary and Parmesan, but it would also be great with chives and goat cheese or cilantro and jalapenos, for example.  It can also be easily adapted to serve more people, just adjust the recipe accordingly.

Be sure to watch them carefully once they're under the broiler...they can go from perfectly cooked to rubbery and overdone pretty quickly.

Preheat your broiler with the rack positioned 6 inches below the heat and combine the herbs, garlic and cheese in a small bowl.

In each of the individual shallow oven-proof dishes, place a pat of butter and 1 Tbsp of cream or half & half. Place them on a sheet pan and under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the cream is bubbly. Crack two eggs into two separate dishes so you can easily slide them into the dishes in the oven. At this point, I toss on a couple slices of french bread to toast in the oven while the eggs cook.

Sprinkle the cheese herb mixture over the eggs along with some salt and pepper (I used smoked sea salt...yum!) and place them back under the broiler for an additional 5-6 minutes. Check them often and turn the pan if necessary. If you like your yolks runny, it will take no more than 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let them cool for about a minute. I like to take them out while they're still a bit jiggly since they'll continue to cook a bit after you take them out.

Herb-Baked Eggs
serves 2


1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp heavy cream or half & half
1 Tbsp butter, divided
smoked sea salt (or kosher salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
Sliced French bread

Preheat broiler and place oven rack 6 inches below the heat. Combine the herbs and garlic in a small dish. Carefully crack 2 eggs into 2 separate ramekins so you'll be ready to slide them into the baking dishes.

In each of 2 small ramekins or individual baking dishes, place one pat of butter and 1 Tbsp cream. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes or until the butter is melted and the cream is bubbling.

Quickly slide 2 eggs into each of the ramekins, top evenly with the herb, cheese mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper and broil for an additional 5-6 minutes until the egg whites are almost cooked (they'll continue to cook after they're removed from the oven). Check the eggs often and rotate the pan if necessary to ensure even cooking).

Remove from the oven and let the eggs cool slightly before serving with toasted bread. Pin It