Pasta with Smoked Salmon in Creamy Vodka Sauce

This pasta will look like something very fancy but it really doesn't take much time or skill to make, actually I think it's pretty foolproof. The ingredients might be a little expensive (especially the smoked salmon) so it's not something I do everyday, but it is a nice idea if you are entertaining guests and want to impress them with something easy to cook.

Ingredients for 2 people

1/2 lb of bowtie/farfalle pasta
1 package of smoked salmon ( usually they are between 4-6 oz)
1 small onion
olive oil
1/3 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of tomato paste

Preparation

- Finely dice the onion
- Place a 2 quarts pot of water on the stove on medium
- In a frying pan pour approximately 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onion in it on medium until the onion is soft and transparent. Avoid burning the onion by keeping the fire on medium low. If it's still getting brown too quickly you can add a dash of white wine or even some water.
- Cut the salmon in little bits of about half an inch.
- Add the salmon to the onion and stir it allowing it to caramelize a little.
- Add the vodka and cook until the salmon is caramelized and the vodka has mostly evaporated.
- Add the cream and the tomato paste. The tomato paste doesn't add much in terms of flavor but makes the sauce pink which looks prettier with the pink salmon.
- Cook for a few minutes on medium low allowing the cream to thicken. Once the cream is thick enough turn off.
- When the water is boiling add about 1/2 cup of salt then cook the pasta as directed.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. You can turn the stove back on for a few minutes to help the sauce really stick to the pasta.