Smoked Salmon, Broccoli, and Pasta

I first read about this dish from my relative and fellow food writer, Silvia Todesco. She is an Italian living in the US and she has a beautiful and most inspiring website dedicated to authentic Italian cooking.  Her website is http://italiangoodness.net/. 

Recently, she had a post about smoked salmon and pasta.  I was intrigued because my son can eat smoked salmon and it is generally well received by all at the dinner table.  Her recipe was very simple and easy to make.  To make it my own, I added some garlic, broccoli, and fresh parsley and modified the recipe to make it dairy and gluten free.  Even with the substitutions and additions, this meal is very easy to make and is a crowd pleaser for all ages.

Smoked Salmon, Broccoli, and Pasta

1, 16 ounce package of smoked salmon

1 package cooked gluten free pasta or pasta of choice

½ yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2-3 teaspoons of olive oil

1, 16 ounce package of premium frozen broccoli flowerets

1 container of cream cheese (Daiya brand for dairy free or Philly for full dairy diets)

½ cup to 1 cup of broth or pasta water

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta as directed, reserving pasta water.

Sauté onions and garlic, in olive oil, until softened.  Add broccoli, cover and steam until broccoli is mostly cooked.  Add smoked salmon and crumble in the pan into bite sized pieces.  Add ½ cup of pasta water or broth with cream cheese to the pan.  Stir continuously until cream cheese softens.  Continue to add pasta water until desired consistency of the cream sauce is obtained.

Serve with pasta and top with fresh parsley.