Our fascination with the 1980s has never truly left us, even when we talk about food. It was an extremely colorful, rich and vivacious period, which found its best expression in the kitchen with hyper-caloric and sassy dishes – a true celebration of cream, mayo, jellies and assorted sauces.
We’re talking gorgeously composed meals, pleasurable to the eye as much as the palate, triumphantly set amidst wondrous dressings and decorations. Even using alcohol ruled supreme back in those days – from an aperitivo like the Gin Fizz (a cocktail made of gin, lemon juice, sugar, and soda) to the Skiwasser for the kiddies (a mix of lemon juice, raspberry syrup and tonic water, decorated with fruit skewers). Meals were paired with a variety of bubbles, right up to the sumptuous after-dinner cocktails, where drinks like the Sgroppino or the original recipe for an Alexander (a mix of heavy whipping cream, dark cocoa, cognac and nutmeg) were popular.
So, you’ve probably noticed the theme here: cream. One of the most popular ingredients at the time, it even showed up in the cocktail recipes, too! Nowadays, chefs may shudder at the very idea, but if you wish to be thrown back to that vintage atmosphere, you simply have to use it! You can always substitute it with a vegan cream, but the heavy cream is a fundamental ingredient of the 80s. Which is why it’s also an ingredient in our main course recipe for pennette pasta alla vodka, re-interpreted for the present occasion with smoked salmon in lieu of bacon.
While this recipe is very easy to make, it does need to be eaten immediately after making it. With this in mind then, my best suggestion is to set up a huge, impressive buffet with a variety of already-prepared hoeurs d’ouvres, in order to simplify the meal. Prepare trays with prosciutto or raw ham rolled onto bread sticks, savory canapés with bold flavor pairings, like kiwis, caviar, crabmeat and jelly. And the shrimp cocktails are a must-have! Steamed fresh scampi over a bed of salad leaves, drowned in a pink sauce (made from a mix of mayo, cream, ketchup, Worcester sauce and a few drops of gin).
But back to the main course, our pennette alla vodka with smoked salmon (and cream, of course)! It’s a re-interpretation of a great classic – beloved generation after generation since the late 70s, for both its exotic taste and its quick prep time. Pennette alla vodka can also be made with bacon and tomato sauce, but today, we’re making a creamier version with a white sauce, dedicated to all the smoked salmon lovers out there – an ingredient you can easily use in the appetizers, as well.
Pennette alla Vodka with Smoked Salmon
Serves 4
Cooks in 20 mins
Level Easy
Ingredients:
12 oz penne rigate pasta
9 oz smoked salmon
1 small glass of vodka
10 oz heavy cream
½ orange (untreated and organic), only the peel
1 scallion
1 butter, knob
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Dill, chives, thyme or lumpfish roe (red or black)
Method:
Bring the salted water for the pasta to a boil.
Clean the scallion and chop it with a knife.
Brown it softly over low heat with a knob of butter and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil.
Fillet the smoked salmon and cut into thin ribbons.
Sauté the salmon with the scallion.
Add the vodka and cook until the alcohol evaporates completely.
Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.
In the meantime, cook the pennette pasta in the boiling salted water.
Drain and rinse the pennette 1 min before they are cooked through. Transfer them directly to the pan with the salmon sauce.
Allow the pasta to absorb the sauce, stirring continuously.
Plate the pennette pasta and grate the orange peel on top.
Garnish to taste with dill, chives, thyme, or the left-over scraps of smoked salmon. If you wish, you can also opt for lumpfish roe, either red or black.
Serve the pennette immediately. The aroma from the orange peel will pair deliciously with the smoked salmon. This recipe is also great for kitchen newbies!