Tagliatelle With Smoked Salmon - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb fresh asparagus (cut in 1-in lengths)
2 ounces butter
1 small leek (sliced)
1 garlic clove (crushed, I use 2)
2 tablespoons brandy
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon tomato paste (see note)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
6 1/2 ounces smoked salmon (thinly sliced & cut in 1-in strips)
1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)
1 lb tagliatelle pasta noodles (may use fettucine)
3 teaspoons capers (drained)
salt & pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Boil, steam or microwave asparagus pieces til tender, drain well & set aside.
Heat butter in a lrg skillet & add leek + garlic. Cook over med-heat (stirring) till leek is soft.
Reduce heat to simmer. Add brandy, cream, tomato paste & Tobasco sauce. Simmer gently (uncovered) for approx 5 min or till slightly thickened.
Add asparagus, salmon + dill. Stir to mix, season w/salt & pepper to taste & remove from heat.
While you prepare the sauce, add pasta to a lrg pan of boiling water. Boil (uncovered) till just tender & drain well.
Divide cooked pasta & sauce among 6 bowls or dinner plates & sprinkle ea with 1/2 tsp capers. Serve immediately.
NOTE: If you are not going to have a use for the remains of a can of tomato paste & are at all like me, leave it out & do what works for me. Seed & dice a lrg tomato & add to the sauce in place of & at the same time you would have added the tomato paste. :-).