Pasta With Smoked Salmon & Capers

I haven't posted any recipes before, but this one was SO good, I just had to put it on here! It all started, because my husband loves this smoked salmon pasta dish at his favorite restaurant, The Boat Shed, near his mom's home in WA. He used to live across an inlet from the restaurant and would eat there all the time. Now, he only gets to dine there 1-2 times a year.

Well, I searched online for a good recipe and stumbled upon one that sounded pretty good. It's as follows:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped [can also use a shallot]
1/4 pound smoked salmon, chopped [if you like salmon, add more. We did 8 oz.]
1 cup heavy cream (a.k.a. whipping cream)
3 tablespoons capers, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound pasta, cooked al dente, drained (reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water), and tossed with olive oil
Freshly grated imported Parmesan cheese

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, but not browned. Add the smoked salmon and continue cooking just until the salmon turns opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the cream and add the capers. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Be careful how much salt you add because the smoked salmon and capers are both salty.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. If there doesn't appear to be enough sauce, add a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to thin it down. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4 [or 2.5 for two meals! It was almost better the next day!]

The first time we made this, I felt like the salmon was a little mushy. It was still VERY GOOD, don't get me wrong -- even with slightly mushy salmon! I think we might have cooked it too long before adding the pasta. My recommendations are to either (a) don't cook too long after adding the salmon or (b) add the salmon closer to the end.

This recipe has immediately become a family favorite, and even Mr. Nick was clamoring for more!