Pasta w/ Salmon & Kabocha Squash

I made an entire box of rigatoni. Don't ask me why. I usually only make half a box at a time. But, for whatever reason, I just said let's go for it! Maybe because I've been secretly craving pasta salad and I wanted extra for precisely this reason?? Whatever the reason might be, I live alone and made 4 whole servings of rigatoni. Now, if I truly wanted pasta salad I probably should have gone for fusilli. Maybe even shells. But here we are! With more rigatoni than one person knows what to do with in a week. Hence, the almost inevitable Salmon & Kabocha Squash Pasta.

Yesterday I made Rigatoni w/ Kabocha Squash Lentils & Fresh Mozzarella. I've run out of lentils, though, so I have to improvise! And decided to mix in the extra salmon that I do still have with kabocha squash purée and melt some fresh mozzarella into the entire concoction. I. also didn't manage to use all of the pasta that I made. I'm probably going to start a similar batch of Pasta Salad w/ Salmon, Squash, Dijon, & Fresh Dill. So, stay posted!

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Variations of Salmon Pasta

I don't like to waste leftovers. If I'm going to go to all of the trouble to make a dish? I'm damn well going to eat every single morsel of it. I do get tired of the same thing over and over again, though. So, I like to mix it up and make as many fun and new recipes with a base disha s possible. Salmon is a great thing to toss into a plethora of different meals. I'm frequently adding leftover salmon to salads, nachos, and pasta dishes later on down the week. If you just grill it with lemon slices, olive oil, salt, and pepper? There aren't many dishes where you can go wrong tossing in some salmon!

Rigatoni w/ Salmon, Kabocha Squash, & Fresh Mozzarella

Rigatoni w/ Salmon, Kabocha Squash, & Fresh Mozzarella

This Salmon Pasta consists of roasted kabocha squash, grilled salmon, fresh mozzarella, and a dash of salt and pepper with rigatoni. It's an incredibly simple dish to toss together. Especially if you already have leftover squash and salmon lying around. Even if you don't, though, this is an absolutely delicious meal that's sure to impress. You could easily make a roux with 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and a little milk or pasta water to make a macaroni and cheese out of this. Then, just bake until heated throughout and crispy on the top.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Saucepan
  • Stovetop

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lbs. rigatoni or pasta of choice (1/2 package)
  • 1 c. kabocha squash roasted & puréed
  • 4 oz. salmon grilled & flaked
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella (1/2 package)
  • dash salt
  • dash pepper

Instructions
 

Prepare Ingredients

  • I used Roasted Kabocha Squash in this recipe. This takes a couple of hours and requires aluminum foil and a baking dish. I am a big fan of ambercup squash. It's a medium-sized variety with dense flesh and a lot of flavor. You can easily substitute butternut squash, pie pumpkin, or other gourd of choice.
  • I utilized some leftover salmon recipe. Baked Salmon takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the size of the filet. Otherwise Barbecue Salmon can also be made wrapped in foil on the grill.I also utilized some leftover salmon recipe. Baked Salmon takes about 15 minutes to cook in the oven, depending on the size of the filet. Otherwise Barbecue Salmon can also be made wrapped in foil on the grill.

Cook Pasta

  • Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
  • Remove the pasta from the water and set aside.
    You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.

Cook Sauce

  • Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer on medium-low for about 5-10 minutes, or until the lentils have heated and the cheese melts together.
  • Add rigatoni and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

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