Thursday, August 20, 2009

Guest Blogger Recipe - Smoked Salmon & Artichoke Fettuccine

I'd been thinking I should ask some key friends to do guest blogger posts for my blog so when my friend Lynne typed one up and sent it to me, I was thrilled. It also inspired me to finally get moving on the idea so I reached out to several friends who love to cook, bake, eat, and entertain and asked for their participation. My dear friend Erika (and one of THE nicest people on earth!) was the first to reply with a post. Erika is a fabulous cook and has given me some wonderful recipes in the past (see Sicilian White Cookies and Grand Marnier Roasted Chicken). I'm excited to have another guest blogger and can't wait to try this recipe.

By Guest Blogger Erika...

It is the middle of August as I write this. Seattle has recently boasted some of her warmest temperatures on record. After a long, cold and wet winter and spring, Seattleites are finally getting some of the warmth that we have earned. And what am I thinking about??? Food. But not just any food. Good, warm, cozy, cool-weather comfort food. As much as I love and respect the BBQ, cold soups and salads, I am ready to do some real cooking. Roasting, braising, simmering and all of the goodness that comes along with it. I must be realistic, though. Only 15% of Northwesterners have air-conditioning and I am not one of them. There is no way I can turn on my oven to 375° for a few hours! To bridge the gap between summer and fall I have started having warm pastas that utilize some of our region’s fresh produce. So go pick some tomatoes and fresh herbs and have a wonderfully cozy dinner. And don’t worry, only a few more weeks until sweater weather!

Smoked Salmon & Artichoke Fettuccine

Adapted from Simply Classic

2 T. butter
3 T. shallot, minced
¼ cup cooking sherry
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
8 oz (or more to taste) smoked salmon (any cooked salmon would work just fine)
2 cups tomato, seeded and chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
¼ cup basil, chopped
1 pound fettuccine

Melt the butter and add shallots and salt and pepper to taste. Cook shallots until they soften, then add sherry. Let the sherry reduce then add remaining ingredients. Let come to a low boil and let thicken and combine.


Meanwhile, cook your fettuccine according to package directions. Drain fettuccine and add pasta to sauce.

Toss, top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

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