Salmon is one of my family’s go-to meals. It is not only delicious, but considered to be healthy due to it’s high levels of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D content. As such, my mom and I have created a few standard ways to prepare salmon. This particular dish uses lox, which is a salmon fillet that has been cured. It is sliced thin, served cold, and has a slightly salty flavor – so don’t overdue it on the salt in the pasta. The lox flavor though plays well with the fresh dill and lemon, making it a lite and refreshing summer pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 1 Box Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta
• 1 package Nova Scotia Lox (Salmon)
• 6 Garlic cloves, sliced
• Olive oil for pan
• Fresh Dill
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus juice
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• 1 bundle of Asparagus, sliced on diagonals,  1 inch long
• 1 cup+ shredded Parmesan Cheese

Slice the garlic, green onions, asparagus & dill, as well as zest the lemon – place in separate bowls and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta, and follow the instructions on the box. In a wide pan, drizzle the olive oil and turn the burner up to medium heat. Add the green onions and let sauté for a few minutes. Do not caramelize.

When draining the pasta, save a mug full of the starchy water. Add some of the water (about half of the mug) to the pan with the onions, and then add the garlic & asparagus. Let the water come to a gentle boil, allowing the garlic and asparagus to soften, about 6 minutes. Next add the pasta to the pan, mixing it thoroughly with the sauce.

Take the pasta off the heat and place in a large bowl. Mix in the chopped dill & lemon zest, and then squeeze the lemon juice onto the pasta. Add salt & pepper to taste, and a cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly. Note that the lemon juice can change the garlic to a pale lime green color – this is normal.

Slice the salmon into small strips. You can either mix the salmon into the pasta, or plate each serving  of pasta and  top it with the salmon. Serve warm and garnish with more parmesan cheese & dill.