Smoked Salmon and Caper Pasta
Foil-pack salmon, penne, and capers held together with oil and a little starchy water.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 33 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 800 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Penne or farfalle | 6 oz | short shapes cook more evenly than long |
|---|---|---|
| Foil packet smoked salmon | 1 packet, about 3 oz | no fridge needed until opened |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Capers | 2 tbsp | drained, in a small screw-top jar |
| Grated hard parmesan | 1/4 cup | the shelf-stable shaker kind |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste |
Method
- Bring 800 ml of water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is just soft, about 9 minutes.
- Tip most of the water off into a mug, keeping roughly half a cup in the pot. Drink the rest or save it for cleanup.
- Off the flame, flake in the salmon and pour the oil over it. Stir.
- Add the capers and put the pot back on low heat for a minute, stirring until everything is coated and hot.
- Season, then shake the parmesan over the top and eat straight from the pot.
The original wanted a colander and a kitchen. This version keeps only what matters: you cook the pasta in as little water as it will tolerate, pour off most of it, and let the last half cup do the work of a sauce. Starch from the pasta thickens it just enough to hang onto the oil.
Smoked salmon in a foil packet is the whole reason this travels. It is shelf-stable until opened and it needs no cooking, so it goes in after the flame is off and stays in flakes instead of turning to paste. Capers and hard grated parmesan are the salt; go easy before you taste.
Packing
Pasta in a freezer bag. Capers in a small leakproof jar, drained at home so you are not carrying brine. Salmon packet and cheese ride separately.
Variations
- A squeeze of lemon juice from a plastic bottle cuts the oil.
- Dried dill or a pinch of red pepper flakes stirred in at the end.
- No capers? Chopped olives from a pouch do the same salty job.
https://camprecipes.com/classic-recipes/smoked-salmon-pasta-with-capers