MONDAY: Salmon Piccata Pasta
This quick and simple pasta dinner tastes clean and bring. The briny parsley mixture cuts the richness of the salmon perfectly. Serve this healthy salmon piccata pasta dish alongside a leafy green salad with shaved Parmesan.
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 ounces uncooked thin whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), divided
- 1/4 cup non-pareil capers, drained and coarsely chopped, divided
- 4 (5-oz.) skinless salmon fillets
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 tsp.)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Lemon slices
Serves 4 (serving size: 1 cup pasta, 1 salmon fillet)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Step 1: Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
Step 2: While pasta cooks, stir together parsley, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the capers in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Lightly coat salmon with cooking spray, and sprinkle with pepper. Add salmon to skillet; cook until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, or to desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; transfer salmon to a plate. Wipe skillet clean.
Step 4: Reduce heat to low, and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet, garlic, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring often, until garlic is golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Stir in pasta, salt, and reserved cooking water. Increase heat to medium-high; and cook, stirring or shaking skillet constantly, until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid and a thin sauce clings to pasta, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 tablespoons capers. Divide pasta evenly among 4 plates. Spoon parsley mixture evenly over fish, and flake fish into large chunks. Top each pasta serving with salmon-parsley mixture; serve with lemon slices.
