This Smoked Mackerel Pasta Bake is very easy and quick to make. It's ready in just 20 minutes which makes it perfect for a mid-week dish. Smoked mackerel fillets are mixed with leeks, kale and cream cheese then added to pasta and topped with grated cheese. A little horseradish sauce added to the cream cheese gives the sauce an extra kick and goes very nicely with smoked mackerel.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Smoked mackerel fillets are already cooked, which makes them a very easy ingredient for a pasta bake. You can buy the fillets simply smoked or with added flavours such as smoked peppered mackerel, hot smoked, or even honey and soy flavoured.
- I've used leeks and kale in this recipe, but you could also use onion in place of the leeks and green cabbage or spinach to replace the kale. Fresh spinach doesn't need cooking, just stir it into the pasta at stage 3 so it wilts down.
- You can use any pasta shapes in a pasta bake.
- For the topping, use a hard grated cheese such as cheddar or mozarella. Mozarella has a milder flavour. I also take the opportunity to sprinkle over some breadcrumbs for a more crunchy topping. Breadcrumbs are a great way to use up any leftover bread that is past its best. Remember that you can store breadcrumbs in the freezer and use them from frozen so this can help minimise your food waste.
Other recipes using Smoked Mackerel
Smoked mackerel is relatively cheap and because it has been smoked usually has a shelf life of several weeks when stored in the fridge. If you're looking for other smoked mackerel fillet recipes, you might also like Smoked Mackerel Pate, Smoked Mackerel Fishcakes or a Smoked Mackerel with Asian Noodles salad
How to make it
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the penne as per the packet instructions, then drain. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and fry the leek and kale for 10 minutes or until the leaves are tender but still dark green and slightly firm.
- Stir in the cream cheese, smoked mackerel and horseradish sauce and heat for 1 minute.
- Stir in the pasta and season with black pepper. If you're using fresh spinach, add it here.
- Pour everything into an oven proof baking dish, scatter with breadcrumbs and cheese and grill until the top is crisp and golden.
- Simmer the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes until tender. Serve the pasta bake together with the broccoli
Sustainability
In order to protect fish stocks, it's important we choose fish from sustainable sources. This means eating fish that are not in danger of being over-fished. The Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide recommends handline-caught mackerel from the southwest of England because of its ring-fenced quota and low impact methods. Look for the MCS logo on fish you buy or ask your fishmonger.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Smoked mackerel has a shelf life of several weeks when stored in the fridge. You can also freeze the smoked mackerel fillets for up to 3 months. It may say on the packet that you can't freeze it. This is because it is a particularly oily fish and the taste after it has been frozen may be slightly different. If you do freeze it, try to use it up as soon as possible.
The pasta bake can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days. Store it in an airtight container to prevent the smell of the fish leaking into the other food.
You can also prepare this smoked mackerel pasta bake ahead of time and keep in the fridge. If you do this remember it will all be cold so you would need to re-heat in the oven. Cover with foil and re-heat for 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
Smoked Mackerel Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 300 g penne organic
- 10 g butter organic
- 2 leeks organic, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 200 g kale organic
- 340 g cream cheese organic
- 400 g smoked mackerel fillets MSC certified, skinned and flesh flaked into large chunks
- 2 tablespoon horseradish sauce organic
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
- 100 g breadcrumbs organic
- 50 g Cheddar Cheese organic, grated
- 360 g broccoli organic
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the penne as per the packet instructions, then drain. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and fry the leek and kale for 10 minutes or until the leaves are tender but still dark green and slightly firm.
- Stir in the cream cheese, smoked mackerel and horseradish sauce and heat for 1 minute.
- Stir in the pasta and season with black pepper.
- Pour everything into an oven proof baking dish, scatter with breadcrumbs and cheese and grill until the top is crisp and golden.
- Simmer the broccoli in a pan of boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes until tender. Serve the pasta bake together with the broccoli
Notes
Tips
- Smoked mackerel fillets are already cooked, which makes them a very easy ingredient for a pasta bake. You can buy the fillets simply smoked or with added flavours such as smoked peppered mackerel, hot smoked, or even honey and soy flavoured.
- I've used leeks and kale in this recipe, but you could also use onion in place of the leeks and green cabbage or spinach to replace the kale. Fresh spinach doesn't need cooking, just stir it into the pasta at stage 3 so it wilts down.
- You can use any pasta shapes in a pasta bake.
- For the topping, use a hard grated cheese such as cheddar or mozarella. Mozarella has a milder flavour. I also take the opportunity to sprinkle over some breadcrumbs for a more crunchy topping. Breadcrumbs are a great way to use up any leftover bread that is past its best. Remember that you can store breadcrumbs in the freezer and use them from frozen so this can help minimise your food waste.
Storage
Smoked mackerel fillets can be frozen for up to 3 months. They also keep well in the fridge for up to several weeks. Store the pasta bake in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container to prevent the smell of the fish leaking into the other food. You can prepare this smoked mackerel pasta bake ahead of time and keep in the fridge. To re-heat, cover with foil and re-heat for 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Ruth Brown
This meal was lovely. It was easy to make and very tasty. But we did find that we only needed 2/3 of a portion each.