I have had smoked salmon in a creamy pink sauce at restaurants, so I tried to recreate it at home with a base of vodka sauce. The results were a savory and welcome change from our usual red sauces (pork ragu, eggplant parmesan, linguine all’amatriciana, spaghetti and meatballs).

Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Vodka Sauce

4 oz smoked salmon fillet
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
kosher salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c vodka
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 c half-and-half
8 leaves of basil, finely chopped
1/2 lb farfalle (bowtie pasta), prepared using package directions

Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the olive and garlic until softened, seasoning with salt and red pepper flakes. Add the vodka, then simmer until half of the liquid has evaporated. Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, then stir in the half-and-half and basil.

Break the smoked salmon into small pieces, then stir into the sauce.

Toss the pasta in the sauce.