Salmon and Asparagus Pasta

Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F in preparation for the asparagus.

Heat a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Add a healthy dose of salt and a couple of dashes of olive oil to the pasta water.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and fish for cooking. I like to prepare them ahead of time, since the process seems to go fast once the cooking begins.

Chop the onion into small pieces and set aside. Chop or press about three cloves of garlic and set aside in a small bowl.

Prepare the asparagus by rinsing the stalks and then removing the tough, fibrous lower portion of the stalks. Don’t know how far up to cut the bottoms of the asparagus? All you have to do is bend the asparagus toward the bottom; it will snap apart in the perfect spot, right where the woody portion of the base begins. (I always end up snapping off a few stray ends that didn’t get cut far enough up.)

Set aside the asparagus spears on a metal cookie sheet.

Chop about 7 or 8 leaves of fresh basil and set aside in a small bowl.

For the salmon, prepare it by removing the skin and rinsing off any scales that may have stuck around. Set aside.

To cook the asparagus, melt two tablespoons of butter in the microwave for a few seconds. Drizzle the butter over the asparagus, add salt, a healthy dose of Parmesan cheese, and lightly toss the spears to coat them. Spread the spears out into a single layer on the metal sheet. Place the asparagus in the pre-heated oven for 10 – 12 minutes (cook for up to 20 minutes if you have thick stalks and like your asparagus softer).

When the water comes to a boil, cook the pasta according to package directions. When finished, drain the pasta, add 2 tablespoons of butter to it, salt generously, and stir to coat the pasta. Set aside.

When the asparagus is finished roasting, remove the asparagus to a cutting board to cool, then chop the spears into bite-sized pieces.

While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, heat two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir occasionally until the onions are almost translucent. Than add the minced or chopped garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two. Then add the 1/2 cup chicken stock.

Place the salmon into the onion/chicken stock mixture and let the meat cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

When the salmon is nearly done and is beginning to flake and separate, add the diced tomatoes and the heavy cream. Stir gently. Continue to cook until the salmon is cooked through. Remove from the heat.

Add the chopped basil to the salmon mixture, as well as a healthy dose of salt and pepper to taste.

Combine the noodles and the asparagus in the skillet with the salmon mixture, as well as Parmesan cheese to taste. I like a lot of cheese and end up using about half of a cup. Gently stir to combine and break up the salmon. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve!