Smoked salmon pasta that will convert the fish-averse

I originally made this dish with some Goatsbridge smoked trout (which was a gift from the indomitable Mag Kirwan), for my fish-adverse husband. He absolutely devoured it, so now it is a favourite on our weekly menus. It’s perfectly alright to use hot smoked or barbecued salmon, or even smoked mackerel.

Any type of creme fraiche will do – full fat, half fat, low fat – and I believe that soya yoghurt works as a great non-dairy substitute.

From experience, I find that green vegetables work best in the dish. Frozen petit pois always feature, and I add sauteed cubes of courgette and chopped spring onions too, when I want to stretch it out. Soft herbs work well and I use frozen chopped parsley and chives, either alone or mixed, as they thaw almost instantly.

What you’ll need and how to make it:

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100g spaghetti

1 courgette, diced into 1cm cubes

150g smoked trout, hot smoked/barbecued salmon, skinned and flaked

2 tbsp creme fraiche

75g frozen peas

1 tbsp chives, finely chopped

Storecupboard ingredients:

Black pepper and salt

1 tsp olive oil

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add the peas to the pasta after seven minutes and cook for a further three minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the courgette for five to six minutes on medium heat until just coloured. Turn off the heat and add the salmon and creme fraiche to the courgettes. Mix well.

While the peas are cooking with the pasta, add two tablespoons of pasta cooking water to the salmon – this will loosen the creme fraiche and change the consistency into a sauce. Fold in the chives and season with black pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta and peas and add to the salmon sauce. Mix gently and serve in warmed bowls.

– Aoife Ryan is an airline food and drink buyer by day and is on Instagram as @babaduck, showing what she’s cooking or eating, using recipes from her blog babaduck.com.