Spaghetti with Salmon, Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Spinach


Scotch Bonnet Pepper?
I’ve never cooked with it but have always been curious as it is known for its incredible heat properties. So when I came across these lovely coloured jewel like chillies in the supermarket, I knew it was time to experiment.

Aren’t they pretty
I decided to incorporate these peppers into a recipe introduced to me by my friend Adlin a couple of years ago. Since then it’s become of my go to pasta recipe as it’s not only simple to dish up but it’s flavourful, healthy and colourful. Usually I add normal chillies to this dish which gave a very subtle amount of heat, but surprisingly the scotch bonnets were a delightful addition. It wasn’t overpowering and the heat produced was quite satisfying. Mind you, I only used half a pepper for one portion.

Colourful ingredients makes a pretty dish
This dish makes use of basic ingredients; spaghetti, spinach, garlic, chillies and salmon. However if you prefer, these ingredients can be substituted with other types of pasta or fish.
Just remember once you’ve handled scotch bonnet peppers, wash your hands and wash them again. And for the sake of your eyes, don’t rub them!

Spaghetti with Salmon, Scotch Bonnet Pepper and Spinach


Ingredients

1 piece of salmon
A portion of spaghetti
4 garlic cloves, chopped
½ scotch bonnet pepper, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of half a lemon
2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves, washed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
  1. Clean and wash the salmon fillet under cold water. Pat it dry and season with salt and black pepper.
  2. Boil spaghetti according to instructions on the packet and set aside.
  3. Heat ½ tsp olive oil in a frying pan and cook until medium rare, about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillet. Remove from pan.
  4. In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and add the chopped garlic, peppers and lemon zest. Toss in the spaghetti and season with salt and pepper. Finally pour the lemon juice over the pasta and take off the heat.
  5. To serve, place the spinach on a plate as a base. Top with pasta and top the mound of pasta with the salmon. Serve immediately.