Citrus Salmon Spaghetti

FINALLY. In just a few days I am going to be reunited with my camera charger. If you only knew what I went through these past two weeks trying to borrow other friends cameras and attempting to take pictures with my crappy phone.

In just a few days I will be flying home to lovely L.A. Hello good weather and yummy food! Does this mean I get to finally bust out my sunglasses that have been sitting in their cases for over a few months? Just the thought of it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Sun. Food. Beach. Food. Family. Oh and more food. Nothing sounds better.

Last weekend I decided to drive down to the University of Oregon to have a little girls night with my friends, Lina, Gerri and Harper. In the past couple weeks, I’ve been so overwhelmed with midterms that I totally failed in setting aside time for cooking. Driving down to Oregon was one of the first times I was able to get back into the kitchen and do what I love. With a little help from my sous-chef Lina Bardovi, my friends and I were able to relax and indulge in a delicious meal that will definitely go down in the books.

One bonus of living up in the northwest is the fish. Oh my god the salmon is so delicious. I decided to create a little lemon spaghetti dish with salmon pieces and parmesan, accompanied by toasted olive bread and brussel sprouts. If you’re one of those people who hates brussel sprouts, well all I have to say to you is just try this recipe and tell me I haven’t changed your mind.

If you can’t tell, I am huge fan of cheese. Any stinky cheese is the butter on my bread, the key to my heart and the most important ingredient anyone could use. For years, I would come home from high school and grab some brie cheese to melt all over a baguette. SO why not add it to the pasta AND the brussel sprouts? If it makes the dish more tasty, why not go wild?! Fun Fact: I went on a parmesan cheese tour in Parma, Italy. Hopefully one day I will be able to share those photos with you because it was absolutely fascinating!

The necessary ingredients...don't forget the wine!

Slicing the olive bread in preparation for toasting...

Squeeze those lemons! Chop that basil! Pour your wine!

 Citrus Salmon Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 pound of spaghetti

2-3 fillets of salmon

2/3 cup of olive oil

2/3 cup of Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of lemon zest

1/3 cup of freshly chopped basil leaves

Directions:

For the salmon, season with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the seasoned salmon in a shallow dish in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the inside of the salmon is cooked. Once done, piece apart into decent sized pieces that will later be added into the cheesy pasta. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large bowl of water with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt for around 8 minutes, or until desired texture. 

Whisk the olive oil, parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice in a separate bowl until combined.

Once the pasta is cooked to perfection, drain while saving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the cheesy lemon sauce. Afterwards, add the remaining pasta liquid to soften up strands. Once this is done, add the chopped basil, along with the cooked salmon fillets from the oven. Season with salt and pepper.

*Olive Bread: As for the crunchy olive bread, Trader Joe's an awesome loaf. Slice the load and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven until the outside becomes crusty and golden brown. 

*Brussel Sprouts: If you want to use the same side I did, place the brussel sprouts in a pot of boiling water, and immediately turn down to a simmer. Once cooked for 5 minutes, remove and place in a baking dish. Add as much bread crumbs as you like, with some parmesan cheese or feta, depending on your preference. Cook in the oven at 350 degrees until the top turns a golden color. Season with garlic salt at the end.