Sunday dinner: Capellini with salmon and lemon-dill-vodka sauce

CAPELLINI WITH SALMON AND LEMON-DILL-VODKA SAUCE

Serves 4.

Note: You will need to make the salmon in advance. Don't like vodka? Substitute chicken broth. From "Gourmet Weekday," by the editors of Gourmet.

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• Salt

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 1/2 c. vodka

• 1/2 c. chopped fresh dill

• 11/2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

• 10 oz. capellini (angel-hair pasta), about 2/3 of 1-lb. box

Directions

Cook onion with salt in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add broth, cream, vodka and salt to taste and boil over moderately high heat, stirring frequently and reducing heat, if necessary, to keep liquid from foaming up too high and boiling over, until sauce is reduced to 2 cups, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in dill, lemon zest and juice, and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce, then add salmon to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat until fish is just heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

While fish is heating, cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Return pasta to pot, then toss with reserved sauce and cooking water.