Pasta Inspiration Creates a Whole New Dish

Did you ever see a recipe that seems so amazing you want to try it right away, and then life gets crazy and ... you think about it every day?  You even buy the key ingredients... and they stare at you every time you open the pantry and fridge....for days!
I saw this wonderful creamy pasta dish two weeks ago, and thank goodness I "Pinned" it.  A very creamy smoked salmon pasta, decadent (whipping cream, no less) and heavenly.  I bought the smoked salmon... this time - maple smoked

Somehow, the weather got hot... seemingly too hot to make pasta, but this morning I had an idea - Why not make a pasta salad.  That way I could boil the water and cook the pasta early in the morning while it was still cool.   And then, instead of whipping cream which seemed over the top, I used some Goat Cheese with Chives, some finely chopped garlic scapes (the last of my stash), finely diced sweet red pepper for color and crunch, baby Swiss chard from last Saturday's market score and some fresh basil.    The dressing consisted simply of a drizzle of good olive oil and some Champagne vinegar.  It's a perfect dish for a picnic somewhere wonderful. 

Maple Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

Nothing at all like the inspiration, but so darn good I had to share with Presto Pasta Nights, this week being hosted by Riddhima of Culinary Vibes  You still have tonight to send a dish of your own to riddhimac (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com.   And I'd love to hear how you get your inspirations - or do you simply stick to the recipe or dish that hooked you in in the first place? 

If you'd like to host a Presto Pasta Night Roundup, just drop me a line to pick a date. July 20 & 27 as well as August 24 and beyond are available.  It's never to early to sign up!