Smoked Salmon Spaghetti

This is a dish I used to make a lot when I wanted to get a delicious meal in no time at all. Now I still make it once in a while, mostly for the kids, and mostly on those days when I just can’t hear any complaining about food – this is the ultimate favourite of everyone!

For five hungry people you need:

• 500g spaghetti


• 300g smoked salmon


• 300ml heavy cream or sour cream


• salt and pepper to taste


• freshly grated parmesan and fresh dill or parsley to serve

This is how to do it:

1. Bring water to the boil. Add a bit of salt and then the spaghetti. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente.

2. In the meantime, prepare the sauce: Cut the salmon in smallish pieces and fry them shortly in a large pan. Add cream, salt, and pepper, and cook over a low heat until the spaghetti is done.

3. Drain the spaghetti, place it in a serving bowl, and pour the sauce on top of it. Stir, then sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped parsley or dill. Serve immediately!

Spaghetti with Broccoli and Home-Made Pesto

Quick food doesn’t necessarily mean pasta. The mother of all quick meals is nevertheless pasta with pesto, at least for me. Everyone loves it, kids and adults alike – even the picky ones – and to get it on your plate, you really only need the time it takes to cook the pasta. So if the package says “cottura 18 minuti”, forget about it! We need it quicker.

In this recipe, broccoli is cooked together with spaghetti – both require exactly the same time to be al dente! Miraculous! And with that much broccoli, the whole thing seems a lot healthier ;)

This is what you need to feed 4 hungry people:

• 500g spaghetti, with 8-9 minutes cooking time


• 400g broccoli


• 40g basil leaves


• 40g Parmesan cheese


• 10g pine nuts


• 100g olive oil


• 1-2 garlic cloves


• salt and pepper to taste


• plus a couple of basil leaves, pine nuts, and some grated Parmesan to serve

This is how you proceed:

1. Bring enough water to the boil in a large saucepan to cook the spaghetti. When waiting for the water to boil, cut the broccoli in pieces. Then add some salt, spaghetti, and the broccoli. Stir once in a while.

2. When spaghetti and broccoli are cooking, you have exactly 8 minutes to prepare the pesto and set the table – but it’s more than enough! Wash and drain basil if needed, place it together with olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper, in a bowl. Pulse everything with a hand mixer into a smooth paste.

3. Drain pasta and broccoli and place them in a serving bowl. Then add the pesto, stir, and decorate with basil leaves and pine nuts. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan and serve!

For a vegan version, forget the cheese – or use a vegan alternative. My favourite is No-Moo Piquant.