Serves

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 recipe Homemade Pasta Dough (see below), cut into ¼-inch ribbons

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium shallot, peeled and minced

½ pound smoked salmon, cut into ½-inch cubes

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup water

¼ cup capers, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoon lemon juice, more according to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced dill



Homemade Pasta Dough



Yields 4 servings.



If you can find Italian “00” flour, use it to make very delicate, yet chewy pasta. If not, all-purpose flour works really well.



2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour or “00” flour, plus more for dusting

1 tablespoon kosher salt

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil



Yields 4 servings.

Procedure

Linguine is sometimes referred to as Trenette pasta. These narrow ¼-inch wide long ribbons have a broad surface for holding sauce, and are well-suited to cream based sauces.



To make the homemade pasta: Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Make a “well” in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs and oil. Using your fingers, blend the eggs into the flour mixture, stirring the flour in from the sides of the well and working outwards.



When the pasta dough is thoroughly mixed, turn it out on a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until it is smooth and flexible but not sticky, adding small amounts of flour as needed, about 5 minutes. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature.



To roll dough, secure a pasta machine to the edge of a long countertop. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into thirds. Keep extra dough covered in plastic wrap while working with one piece. Flatten the piece of dough into a rough rectangle so that it will fit inside the width of the pasta machine. Place the rollers on the widest setting and roll the dough through the machine, catching it with one hand as you roll with the other. Take the dough and fold into thirds towards the center of the dough. Turn the dough so one open end faces the machine and roll it through on the widest setting again. Fold, turn, and roll once more on the widest setting. Continue rolling the pasta through the machine without folding, adjusting the rollers to the next smallest setting each time, until the desired thickness is reached. If the pasta sheet becomes too large to handle, use a bench scraper to cut it into more manageable lengths and continue rolling.



Cut sheets to ¼ inch wide long ribbons, toss with flour and set aside covered with a clean kitchen towel. The pasta can be cooked immediately or covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to an hour before use.



To cook pasta: Heat a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add enough kosher salt to season the water to taste like sea water. While salted water boils vigorously, add linguine and stir immediately to prevent pasta from sticking together. Boil until pasta is al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta through a colander.



To prepare pasta sauce: Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat and add oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallot and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the smoked salmon and continue to cook until the salmon is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.



Pour in the cream and water and allow to bubble. Add the capers and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and then add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss until thoroughly combined. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.



To serve: Divide the pasta between 4 warmed pasta bowls, sprinkle with minced dill and serve immediately.



