Pasta With Salmon Caviar - cooking recipe

Ingredients

salt
1 lb fettuccine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, minced
12 tablespoons creme fraiche or 12 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon
fresh ground pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons (1/2 cup)
8 ounces salmon caviar

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a large pinch of salt. Add the tagliarini and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, add the minced shallot and cook over moderately low heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Add the creme fraiche, parsley and tarragon. Stir in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and season with pepper. Add the pasta and smoked salmon ribbons and toss well. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of the reserved cooking water if the pasta seems too dry. Remove from the heat. Add three-fourths of the caviar and toss gently. Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with the remaining caviar.