I was given a slab of Tasmanian smoked salmon recently, the type of brand that says grown in the pristine waters of Tasmania (there are several brands) but which fail to add that their method of farming (aquaculture) pollutes the pristine waters of Tasmania.
We ate much of the smoked salmon rolled and stuffed with herbs or plain with rye bread, horseradish and salad (green leafs or celeriac, or fennel) and I used the left overs for a pasta dish, pasta al salmone affumicato. You may still see this on some Italian menus (all over Italy); if I go by my age, this dish has certainly been around for a long time.
Many of the recipes for this sauce include cream. I have always used good quality unsalted butter. Vodka is common, especially if it is made in the north of Italy, but more often than not I make it with white wine. Sometimes I add lemon juice and nearly always grated lemon peel.
I like to use ribbon egg pasta, for example taglierini or tagliatelle, but farfalle or penne are also common in recipes. In the north of Italy I have also eaten it with black poppy seeds sprinkled on top, my father used to say that this was the German influence.
The sauce is prepared very quickly and egg pasta does not take too long to cook.
Dress the pasta, add lemon juice, place on a serving platter and sprinkle grated lemon peel on top.