This creamy sweet chilli pasta with smoked salmon and peas takes less than 20 minutes to make – perfect for a busy week night!
You know those manic week nights when you’re juggling several plates and you feel like you just don’t have time to cook?
You’re tempted to reach for the takeaway menu and dial the number…I know, I’ve been there several times myself.
This creamy pasta with smoked salmon and peas is easy, delicious and it would be ready to serve and on the table before the takeaway even reaches your front door.
more easy pasta recipes to try
If you like this quick smoked salmon pasta recipe, you might like these recipes for roasted pepper orzo salad, meatball mozzarella pasta bake, creamy chicken Fajita Pasta, chicken and chorizo pasta and spicy sausage pasta.
Ingredient list
- 500g Pasta – Fusilli, Penne or even Tagliatelle work well for this recipe
- A tub of sweet chilli soft cheese – I used the Philadelphia brand. If you can’t find sweet chilli soft cheese, you can use regular soft cheese and add 2 teaspoons of sweet chilli sauce.
- Smoked Salmon, cut or torn into strips.
- What would we do without the humble frozen pea? They are just so handy to have on hand for adding to so many meals – I also use them in this creamy panetta and pea pasta recipe and my leftover chicken fried rice.
- Chopped dill. I’ve recently started using the freeze dried bags of herbs – they are absolutely brilliant. I use them straight from the freezer – just take out the amount you need and there’s no waste. But obviously, you can use fresh dill instead.
my Tips for making this sweet chilli pasta with smoked salmon
- When you drain the pasta, save some of the cooking water. That starchy water is the secret to achieving a smooth, silky sauce without the need for extra milk or cream.
- You don’t need to cook the smoked salmon – you just want to merely heat it through when you combine it with the hot pasta.
- As soon as you’ve drained the pasta, you need to work quickly. Pour the drained pasta back in the pan. Place the pan back on the hob. There’s no need to turn the heat back on – there will still be enough heat to make the sauce.
- Immediately add the cream cheese and stir until the cheese has melted, adding a couple of tablespoons (or more) of the pasta water to make a creamy, rich sauce. Then add your drained frozen peas, chopped dill and smoked salmon.
variations……
- If you don’t like chilli, you could use cream cheese with garlic and herbs instead.
- For a citrusy kick, add the grated zest of half a lemon.
- You could use aparagus or green beans instead of the peas.
- For a salty kick, stir in 1/2-1 tablespoons of drained capers when adding the smoked salmon – capers are like little unami flavour bombs – I love them!
pin this recipe for later
Sweet Chilli Pasta With Smoked Salmon And Peas
Get dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes with this super quick and delicious creamy pasta dish with smoked salmon and peas.
Ingredients
- 100g Frozen Peas
- 400g Dried Pasta, I love this with penne or tagliatelle but use whatever you wish
- 200g Soft Cheese, I used Philadelphia Sweet Chilli
- 4 tablespoons (at least) pasta cooking water
- 225g Smoked Salmon, cut into small ribbons
- 1 tablespoon Sweet Chilli Sauce, Optional - for an extra chilli kick!
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or frozen dill
Instructions
- Place the frozen peas in a small pan of water, bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes then drain.
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain, reserving a small cup of the pasta water.
- Return the drained pasta to the pan and place back on the (turned off but still warm) hob. Add the soft cheese, a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water and sweet chilli sauce, if using.
- Stir until everything coats the pasta and becomes a creamy sauce, adding a little more of the reserved cooking water if it seems thick.
- Stir in the peas, smoked salmon ribbons and chopped dill, stirring for no longer than a minute or two (you don’t want to cook the salmon, just heat it through.)
- Season to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Add the grated zest of 1/2 a lemon for a citrusy kick that goes nicely with the smoked salmon.
For a salty kick, add a tablespoon drained capers.
Instead of peas you could use asparagus or green beans.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 581Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1608mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 34g
Calories and nutritional information is provided by a third party application and should be used as indicative figures only
Love simple pasta dishes like this. Love smoked salmon too so i guess I’m going to try this 🙂 Thank you for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thank you Jacqui, I just love this recipe – it’s simple but so good. Very adaptable too – sometimes I add asparagus or peas and it’s also very good with Philly with chives instead of the chilli one.