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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