Spaghetti with Salmon & Sorrel (Or Spinach)
Submitted by twales
A quick dinner for two: canned salmon, sorrel or spinach ribbons, and broccoli tossed with buttered fresh spaghetti, lemon, and Parmesan. Pantry-friendly elegance in 20 minutes.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
20 minGot a can of salmon in the pantry and twenty minutes to spare? This elegant little dinner for two punches well above its weight. Canned salmon gets flaked over tiny broccoli florets warmed in butter, then tossed with fresh spaghetti and fine ribbons of sorrel or spinach.
The butter and lemon create a light sauce that clings to every strand, and the Parmesan adds just enough richness without overpowering the fish. It looks like something from a nice restaurant, all pink and green and glossy.
Sorrel brings a natural tanginess that pairs beautifully with salmon. If you can’t find it, spinach works well with an extra squeeze of lemon to compensate for its milder flavor.
Pro Tips
- Drain the canned salmon well: Press out excess liquid so it doesn’t water down the butter sauce. Flake it gently into large pieces for the best texture.
- Fresh pasta makes a difference: This recipe calls for fresh spaghetti, which cooks in just a few minutes and has a tender bite that complements the delicate salmon.
- Don’t stir the fish in: Scatter the salmon over the broccoli and let it warm through undisturbed. Stirring breaks it into tiny bits when you want beautiful flakes.
Ingredients
Directions
*Note: Amount given for sorrel (or spinach) is for trimmed weight.
Take some sorrel or spinach leaves and roll them up tightly, a few at a time. Snip across with scissors to make fine green ribbony shreds.
Chop the broccoli florets into very small pieces indeed.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for cooking the pasta.
Melt 2 oz butter in a flameproof casserole suitable for bringing to table.
Add the broccoli, stir to coat with fat, cover with a lid and cook gently for just 1 minute.
Add a very generous grinding of pepper, some salt and 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or quite a bit more lemon if using spinach).
Shake the casserole to distribute the flavourings, then scatter the flaked fish over the broccoli but do not stir it in.
Cover and leave over very gentle heat for just 3 minutes or so.
Meanwhile cook the pasta.
Draw the casserole away from the heat.
Add the well drained pasta, the Parmesan and most of the sorrel or spinach ribbons.
Toss quickly, gently and thoroughly so that every strand of pasta is anointed with butter and prettily flecked with the pink and green of the salmon and vegetables.
Check the seasoning, sprinkle the remaining ribbons of greenery over the top and serve straight away, accompanied by wedges of lemon instead of the ubiquitous bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.
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