Salmon and Pea pasta bake

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1 Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. With 4 minutes of the cooking time left, add the salmon fillets to the pan, laying them on top of the pasta. After the 4 minutes, carefully remove the salmon fillets and put them on a plate. Drain the pasta and set aside. You can pop the pasta back in the pan, if you like – this is a good place to mix everything for the pasta bake. And if it’s an ovenproof pan, you can use it to cook the pasta bake in.

Step 2

2 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour the milk into a heatproof jug and heat in the microwave in 30-second blasts until steaming, making sure it doesn’t boil over. This step is optional, but I find it speeds up the sauce-making process.

Step 3

3 Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, stir in the flour to make a paste. Once the flour is all combined, cook the paste for 1-2 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until the milk is fully incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.

Step 4

4 Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mascarpone with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper then mix until combined.

Step 5

5 Pour the sauce over the pasta, then flake in the salmon (don’t worry if it’s not fully cooked through) and stir in the frozen peas. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish or pan then level the top of the pasta.