This is one of my favourite pasta recipes! It's become a staple recipe in my home for my husband and I (obviously, no cream cheese for me!).  It's simple to make and the perfect pasta for salmon lovers. You can also make it with fresh salmon steaks (simply cook them and remove the bones) or give pre-cooked salmon a new life by adding it to this pasta.

1/2 cup bow tie pasta (or pasta of your choice)
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. finely chopped onions
1-2 filets (or about 2-3 oz) smoked salmon (It depends on how large the pieces are and how much condiment you want for the pasta)
1 tbsp. of cream cheese (or another soft cheese such as Laughing Cow)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. I usually cook it for an extra 2 minutes or so to make sure it is soft enough for my son to chew on.
(When I'm at home I usually opt for a smaller pasta, such as macaroni, but I didn't have any on hand. I'll admit that the task of cutting the pieces of pasta afterwards was pretty tedious!!)

In the meantime, finely chop onions and salmon.  (Don't forget to double check that there are no tiny bones in the salmon.)

In a small frying pan, heat olive oil on medium-low heat for about 1 minute, add the onions and sautee for about 2 minutes or until they are transparent.  Add the salmon and cook for another 2 minutes or so or until it turns pale pink.

Once the pasta is ready remove about 1/2 cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan with onions and salmon.

Add the cream cheese and 1/4 cup of the cooking water and cook on low heat for about 1-2 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the sauce is creamy.

*TIP: If the pasta is still too dry just add 1 tbsp. at a time of the cooking water to loosen the sauce.

Remove from the heat and serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley. (I didn't add any because I was too lazy to run to the garden to pick some!)

On a side note: the cooking times might vary slightly. At home I have an electric stove whereas here in Italy, I am using a gas stove..and the one I'm using is quite old.  I'm not knocking it because it seems like the older something is here the better it works...kind of like old Italian nonna's-the older they get the more resilient they become!!