Ingredients
- 1 lb fusilli/rotini or other short pasta that holds the dressing well like farfalle or penne
- 5 oz cold-smoked salmon/lox This recipe is flexible on the amount of smoked salmon. A 4 oz/113 g package can also work or you can use up to 8 oz/225g if you prefer a more salmon-forward pasta salad. If you have any leftover smoked salmon, see these other recipes you can use it in
- 2 roasted peppers jarred or homemade both work. If using jarred roasted peppers drain them well.
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp capers drained
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 large avocado
- 2 tbsp minced chives
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. To a large pot of salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package, plus 1-2 minutes. When pasta is served cold, it’s a bit tougher, so cooking it a bit longer (by 1-2 minutes) is recommended for pasta salads. Note: We'll prep all the ingredients (chopping, dicing, blending) while the pasta is boiling and cooling to save time.
- Blend the peppers and crème fraîche. While the pasta is boiling, blend the roasted peppers with the crème fraîche, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper until smooth. Add the capers and pulse/chop a few times just to chop the capers roughly, not fully blend them.
- Combine the cooked, drained pasta with half the dressing. Once the pasta has boiled, drain it. Then, toss it in a large mixing bowl with half the roasted pepper and crème fraîche dressing. When the pasta is warm, it absorbs the dressing better. Set it aside to cool while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Giving it a stir from time to time can help it cool down faster.
- Prep all the remaining ingredients. Chives: Mince the chives. Cucumber: Peel the cucumber in stripes, leaving some skin on for color and crunch. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the watery seeds with a teaspoon. Chop them into bite-sized pieces.Lemon: Zest the lemon first. Then, juice the lemon. Avocado: Cut it in half and take out the seed. Brush it with lemon juice to keep it from browning while waiting to be added to the salad. Then score it into cubes with a paring knife. When ready to be added to the salad, we'll scoop it out with a spoon.Smoked Salmon: Cut the smoked salmon into bite-sized pieces. Gently pull the pieces apart so they don’t clump together in the salad.
- Combine everything and adjust the seasonings. Once the pasta has cooled enough (to room temperature), add all the ingredients: chopped smoked salmon, cubed avocado flesh, chopped cucumber, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced chives, and the remaining roasted pepper crème fraîche dressing. Toss everything until combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your taste, adding more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed.
- Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl. Cover it and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. It will help the flavors come together better. Serve it immediately after chilling.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 335mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and is an estimate only. See the full nutrition disclosure below.