Artichoke Salmon Pasta

In the October 2007 issue of Backpacker Magazine the recipe of Salmon-studded Spaghetti by Kelly Bastone was printed. While it sounded great and very tasty, it wasn’t very portable for backpacking. It needed 2 pots, along with a longer cook time.

In my One Pot Makeover I changed a few things and whipped it up in one pot. It cuts down on fuel needed as well as cooking time. The result is a very tasty and more friendly meal. It isn’t a lightweight meal, but it will fill you up. As for carrying the artichokes and capers – this needs to be a first night out trip. They will be fine carrying them for the first day. The artichokes I used did come with a poptop as well, if you don’t mind carrying a can out, by all means pack the can in. Capers are pickled – they don’t spoil very fast.

Artichoke Salmon Pasta
Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair
  • 1⁄4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese (shelf stable)
  • 14 ounces artichoke hearts (water packed)
  • 1 Tbsp capers (brine packed)
  • 2 packets or Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 packet 3-ounces smoked salmon
Instructions:

Break up the spaghetti into thirds and put in on bag. In a small bag, add the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese. In another bag, add the artichoke hearts and capers. Also take with you the package of smoked salmon and the packets of olive oil.

In camp, bring 4 cups water to a boil in your pot (2L size recommended). Add in the pasta and cook for time on package (mine was 6 minutes). Lower heat on stove to keep the water gently boiling during cook time. When done, turn off stove and carefully drain the pasta.

Add in the artichokes and capers, salmon and oil, mixing in well. Return to your stove and on very low heat carefully warm up for a few seconds. Turn off stove and add in the cheese/bread crumbs. Stir to blend.

Serves 2.
Notes:
Dry packed weight: 1 lb 9 ounces.
Nutritional info per serving, based on two servings. 750 calories, 20 grams fat, 35 grams protein.
If you purchase the artichokes in a can with a pop-top, you can easily carry the can, drain the water (use it as part of your cooking water!) and proceed. You will want water packed artichokes, not oil packed.
Capers carry fine in a zip-top bag for a couple of days, as they are pickled/preserved.