What's for Dinner - Italian Style

Danny and I are HUGE fans of everything Italian. Several times a week we have a crunchy mini-loaf of sourdough (or homemade Italian peasant bread) and dip it in extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Danny's favorite salad is Caprese salad which is simple and delicious. It consists of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil, generally with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.

Last night I made one of my favorite dishes by Giada De Laurentiis, Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto. So easy, so fast, so delicious and such a great presentation, I guarantee that you'll enjoy this one. :-) (Did I just sound like a commercial?!)

Ingredients


1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed


2 (10-12 ounce) center-cut salmon fillets


Salt and Pepper to taste


1/4 cup sliced almonds


1/4 cup purchased pesto


2 tomatoes, sliced



Directions



1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.





2. Unfold the puff pastry sheet and cut into 4 equal squares (approx. 4 1/2 inches). Prick each square liberally with a fork. Arrange the pastry squares on one end of the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch to separate.





3. Cut the salmon fillets in half crosswise to make 4 pieces about 3" square. Season salmon with salt and pepper and arrange them on the other end of the sheet. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds.


4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until pastry is puffed and golden brown and salmon is firm.



5. TO SERVE - Place a piece of puff pastry on each plate. Top pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Arrange 2 slices of tomato over the pesto, and top with salmon. Serve immediately.



The textures and flavor complexity of this dish make it taste much more difficult than it is. Buon appetito!