Pasta With Pesto And Salmon

• Pesto (adapted from Joy of Cooking)
• 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves (and/or parsley)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (and/or Pecorino romano)
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and/or walnuts
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and/or garlic scapes
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or as needed
• Lots of kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Pasta
• 1 small bulb fennel, fronds reserved
• 1 leek
• 3 small zucchini, cut in 1/2 in cubes
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound salmon
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound radiatore pasta, cooked al dente

1. In a food processor, combine basil, cheese, nuts, and garlic until finely minced
2. With machine running, stream in oil until pesto is loose and quite wet
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This will require a lot of salt!
4. Preheat the oven to 400u0b0F
5. Quarter the fennel, remove the core and slice into 1/4 in thick slices
6. Remove the root and dark green part of the leek, then cut the leek in half lengthwise and wash very well between the layers. There is always a ton of dirt trapped in there!
7. Thinly slice the leek into half moons.
8. Combine the fennel, leek, zucchini, and tomatoes. Toss with oil, 3/4 tsp kosher salt and 1/3 tsp pepper and spread on a baking sheet.
9. Cook ~25 min until soft and leeks are brown.
10. In a saute pan heat vegetable oil over medium high heat.
11. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and fry, flipping once, until just cooked, ~5 min.
12. Toss the pasta with 2 cups pesto and vegetables. Use pasta cooking water to get sauce to the desired consistency.
13. Serve the pasta topped with flaked salmon and the reserved fennel fronds.

basil, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, ground black pepper, pasta, bulb fennel, leek, zucchini, cherry, extra virgin olive oil, salmon, vegetable oil, pasta

Taken from food52.com/recipes/81796-pasta-with-pesto-and-salmon (may not work)