Too easy, too rich

Linguine and Smoked Salmon

Here's a recipe stolen from Martha Stewart and slightly modified:

12 oz. your pasta of choice
2-3 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces
1 tsp. dried dill
2 tbs. capers, rinsed and drained
4-6 oz. smoked salmon, in bite size pieces
Salt, ground pepper to taste

Boil the pasta then drain in a colander, reserving about a cup of the pasta water.  In the same pot, add the cream cheese, dill and capers, then toss the hot pasta on top and gently stir until the cream cheese is melted. Use some of the hot water if needed to make an instant creamy sauce.

Because you have a whole block of cream cheese sitting there, you'll be tempted to use more than 3 oz. like I did, but resist--  it becomes too sticky and heavy.   Oh yes, fold in the smoked salmon last so it doesn't fall apart.  No extra cheese needed on this one!  A simple meal to prepare that would be ridiculously expensive in a restaurant.