Penne with Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Sauce

1 lb (454 g) box of penne

1 cup of cream cheese

1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon (15 mL) of Dijon mustard

¼ cup (60 mL) of capers

8 oz (250 g) of smoked salmon, cut into ribbons

A sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook penne in lots of boiling salted water until al dente – cooked through and tender but still retaining some texture and chew.

Scoop out some of the starching cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta but not quite all the way. Leave it a bit wet. Put the pasta back into the pot along with a splash or two of the reserved water.

While the pasta is still steaming hot, immediately add the cream cheese, dill, green onions, lemon zest and juice, mustard and capers. Stir with a wooden spoon as the cheese melts and forms a creamy sauce.

At the last second briefly stir in the smoked salmon; this way it won’t break up as much. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.