Citrus Salmon Pappardelle

GRAPEFRUIT & WINE BAKED SALMON OVER ROASTED STRAWBERRY & TOMATO PAPPARDELLE WITH ROASTED GARLIC BROCCOLINI

Valentine’s Day is coming in hot, and we’re still pretty deep into the pandemic distancing, so what do we do? We didn’t go out much to eat before the beast of 2020, but Valentine’s was a day we usually made reservations for the day before or after, just because of how busy everywhere usually was.

But this year, we’re staying in because we’re in love with this dish. Table at home for two? Yes indeed.

Heinens seafood is absolutely phenomenal. Their salmon is thick cut and perfect for two.

There’s not much you need for a side. This is a large, hearty meal. Treat yourself to some carbs obviously, and some grilled Garlic Expressions Dressing marinated broccolini. It’s seared hot in a cast iron skillet, and so worth the prep.

You can prep the strawberries and tomatoes at the same time as marinating the broccolini in a gallon sized bag, because the broccolini should sit and soak for 30 minutes. The strawberries and tomatoes have to roast for 15 minutes after the oven has preheated to 400°F. Everything is planned to be ready around the same time.

The only steps for the strawberries and tomatoes is to drizzle them with olive oil and coat in granulated sugar, about 2 tablespoons. You will want a little sweetness to it, but not too much. Roast at 400°F for 15 minutes on middle rack.

After the strawberries and tomatoes have roasted, you will add them to the sauce pot, with the whole peeled tomatoes and onions.

Pure perfection with an immersion blender, my personal favorite appliance in the kitchen.

These delicious greens only take about 10 minutes with the occasional stir to be perfectly cooked.

I bake the salmon in the same tray the strawberries and tomatoes were roasted in. That way it’s soaking in and baking in that left over goodness, and less clean up! And yes, that’s just cooked down sugar, the salmon is not burnt!

GRAPEFRUIT & WINE BAKED SALMON OVER ROASTED STRAWBERRY & TOMATO PAPPARDELLE WITH ROASTED GARLIC BROCCOLINI RECIPE

Ingredients

Roasted Strawberry and Tomato Sauce

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1, 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 3 mint leaves chopped

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper

• 2 tablespoons of a cabernet sauvignon

• 1 1/2 cups roasted strawberries (roasted at 400°F with cherry tomatoes in olive oil and sugar for 15 minutes)

• 1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (roasted at 400°F with halved strawberries in olive oil and sugar for 15 minutes)

Grilled Garlic Marinated Broccolini Spears

• 2 bundles fresh broccolini, trimmed short, discard bottom halves

• 1/3 cup Garlic Expressions dressing for marinating

• 1 teaspoon salt and ground fresh black pepper

• large cast iron pot with 2 tablespoons olive oil

Pappardelle

• 1 16oz package of dried Italian pappardelle noodles

• 3/4ths full pot of boiling water with kosher salt for seasoning

Citrus Baked Salmon Marinade

• 1/4 cup cola

• 1/3 cup grapefruit juice

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground fresh black pepper

• 1/4 cup of the same cabernet sauvignon

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper for sprinkling on top after salmon filets are taken out of marinade bag

• 2 equal sized salmon filets

Instructions

Set oven to 400°F.

On a foil lined baking tray, spread halved strawberries and whole cherry tomatoes, drizzle olive oil over both, and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. When oven is preheated, roast for 15 minutes.

While the strawberries and tomatoes are roasting, you will need to set your marinade for the broccolini and the salmon filets. The broccolini should do well in a gallon size, and if your salmon filets are smaller, you can use a quart size. See above for the marinade ingredients for each. Once the broccolini and salmon are in their bags with the marinades respectively, press out the air from the bottom and seal bags before you mix around the seasonings in those bags. Let sit for about 30 minutes until time to cook. You should place the salmon in the refrigerator so it remains cold.

While the strawberries and tomatoes are roasting, you’ll also need to get the red sauce going for the pappardelle. On medium heat, use a sauce pan to start sautéing the onions for about 10 minutes.

Next, place all chopped and measured seasonings with the onions, and the butter.

Set oven now to 450°F.

Pour in the 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes and mix. Let this mixture cook for about 5 minutes, then add in the roasted strawberry and tomato tray from the oven when it’s ready. DON’T TOSS the baking tray with the good juices. KEEP IT to lay the marinated salmon in to bake. Trust me.

Add the cabernet sauvignon to the red sauce and get the immersion blender ready. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can mix it in a regular blender or food processor. I find it’s just way easier with the hand blender.

Let this cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, then use the blender until your red sauce is smooth. Give it a taste, it’s delicious. You can turn off the heat after it’s blended, or leave it as low as possible, because you won’t need this until the very end. Your sauce is ready for the finale.

Your oven should be ready at this point, so grab the baking tray with the foil and the citrusy juices, and remove your salmon from the marinade to place on the tray. Sprinkle the mix of cayenne and brown sugar over the filets, and make sure they are in that marinade by dabbing the sugar a bit. Place in oven, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes on the middle rack.

While the fish is baking, start searing the broccolini from the garlic marinade bag in a cast iron skillet. Make sure it’s about 12” because it’s quite a bit of broccolini. Turn frequently so that the stems at the bottom don’t get burned. This should only take about 10 minutes. Turn off heat when you get it to a good biting texture.

You’re almost done.

Start boiling the salted water for the pappardelle. There should be about 10 minutes left on the salmon at this point, and I like to time the food for a meal so everything is done around the same time. Drain after 10 minutes or al dente, and sprinkle a little olive oil on the noodles so they don’t stick to each other.

The salmon should be ready to go, remove from oven.

Put the noodles back in the pot they were boiled in if you haven’t already, and pour the sauce slowly into it and fold with tongs, and you judge how much you want in there. I like a lot of sauce if the noodle is thick, and there aren’t grooves in these noodles, so there’s nowhere to hide.

Time to plate.

Using the tongs again, twirl your noodles as desired on each plate, and then place a filet on top. You can garnish with any remaining sauce, and a few sprigs of mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Set your table with some flowers for the occasion, et voila!