This Mackerel and Cream Cheese Pasta is perfect as a lunch or a light dinner. Best of all it's cheap to make too!
Something fishy!
Some of you may have seen my Guest Post on Bean on an Adventure where I talked about why I think its good to eat less meat. Since then I've gone vegan but for those of you still transitioning to more of a plant based diet I'm keeping recipes like this on the blog.
I was first introduced to Mackerel and Cream Cheese Pasta by a friend and it instantly reminded me of summers spent taking a little fishing boat out of Looe and fishing for Mackerel off of the South Cornwall coastline.
We'd always take our catch back to the tent or cottage that evening and cook up a feast. Mackerel is one of my favourite fish to eat both because of fond memories as well as the strong taste, and that it is good for me!
Mackerel can be a bit like marmite because it's flavour is strong. As a result, this Mackerel and Cream Cheese Pasta dish is both hearty and creamy. The broccoli brings a welcome burst of freshness making for a perfectly balanced dish!
What's more, the combination of cheap ingredients and the omega 3 (a.k.a. brain food) makes it brilliant for students!
If you've not come across mackerel before, or are looking for new ways to cook it, I highly recommend this recipe!
It's a great introduction to the fish for anyone and doesn't involve any picking out of bones or avoiding making eye contact either, so it's great for kids too.
The Recipe
Mackerel and Cream Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 smoked mackerel fillet flaked
- ⅓ tub of cream cheese
- 1 large handful of pasta
- 1 cup of broccoli florets
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Begin by boiling the pasta in a pan of lightly salted water, placing the broccoli in a steamer above the boiling water.
- When the pasta and broccoli are both cooked (roughly 10 minutes), drain before stirring in the cream cheese and mackerel fillets.
- Stir over a low heat until the mackerel and cream cheese is piping hot.
- The broccoli will begin to break down into smaller, bite size pieces.
- Season to taste before serving.
More pasta recipes
More lunch recipes
This dish is perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
Check out the full range of lunch recipes in the lunch recipe archive.
Sinead says
Oooo! This looks lovely. Definitely going to try this out this evening with smoked mackerel!
Emmyw says
Let me know how it goes, I personally think it is so moreish! Hence the GIANT mound in that pasta bowl haha! (I am a greedy guts!)
Abi says
I cannot believe how cheap this is!! Great budget cooking. xx
Sinead says
This was sooo yummy! Definitely making it again =D Gave you a mention on my blog with the recipe.
Emmyw says
I'm glad you liked it Sinead, and thanks for the mention! If I was you abi I'd head down to Asda and stock up on the ingredients 😉
Scott at Real Epicurean says
I've been looking for new ideas for simple pasta dishes and this ticks all the boxes!
Jesss says
I'm craving fish so bad now! Hahaxo
Emmyw says
I've got a tin of anchovy fillets and a tin of sardines in my cupboard and I'm not afraid to use them! Why did no one tell me how cheap tinned oily fish is?! Expect lots more fishy fancies guys 🙂
Martin Finnegan says
What's all this Kitchen Goddess stuff..make room for the Kitchen King..lolCan I suggest a variation on your mackerel and cream cheese pasta. I have 3 kids (girls to make it worse) all fussy eaters bar 1.So having caught a load of mackerel last evening we decided to look at what's in the fridge and make something different. I googled your recipe page and liked what I saw. However as Mackerel can have some nasty bones if not filleted properly, kids early impression of fish, if a bone is swallowed can be very off putting, and it can be a very long term thing with them.So thanks to having run my own restaurant in a previous life, I decided to de-bone the complete fish and bake them all separately. Preperation of an adequate amount of fish like these ones straight from the sea , means you can afford to remove all bones by placing your finger under the main back bone and raise it until you can run your finger from top to bottom of the fish, under a running water tap.You should see the fish bones rise from the side flesh and although you will lose some edible flesh you can easily remove the remaining bones when the back bone removed. Remember to trim off the side fins and of course the back bone fins and trim the side edges of the fish lying on its back you will see this is the white skin feels tough and can be bland to eat.Once ready to bake pre heat the oven to 150C,Cover both the flesh and the outer skin with a light coating of sunflower oil and add a similar coating of plain flour.Fold and place along side each other in a deep baking tray. Drain off any excess fluids from the tray.Place on the high shelf and leave to cook for about 15 mins. Remove the tray now and turn the pieces to their opposite side. Add a thin layer of butter to each one on the skin side facing up.Add a generous sprinkling of mixed herbs across them all.Place in the oven at increased temperature of 180C.Now prepare the pasta and cheese. Instead of using broccolli I got a package of fresh Kale ( 10p in ASDA at 9.45 pm good time for a rummage) , enough to feed 5.Bring the Kale to the boil and then reduce heat considerably to a light simmer.Cook the pasta for around 6 minutes on the boil. Taste for texture. Take 2 ASDA cream cheese containers, one plain and one with cloves and gently heat until first bubbles appear stirring constantly. Remove from heat.Increase the heat on the fish to 200CNow in a large mixing bowl Add the drained pasta and Kale, mix thoroughly.Now add the cheese sauce, mixing again thoroughly.Place the pasta mix in another baking tray and place on the lower oven shelf.Creamed cheese can be an acquired taste and can be strong in odour, potentially off putting for you know who, so I mixed a packet of onion sauce with a half pint of semi skimmed milk (already in the fridge) I am sure any type of milk will do. and again being careful to stir and not boil the sauce, removed from direct heat and then mixed the sauce through the baking pasta mix.Now ready to serve.Fish should have a nice crackling , brown outer skin, and will have retained its juices by virtue of the flour coating. Pasta tasted nice and mild and I reckon that meal had at least 24 of the 5 essential each day.Guaranteed way to get kids to eat greens.Hope this is of help to your followers. Total cooking and prep time 35 minsCheers, Martin
Emmyw says
Wow Martin that sounds fantastic!!! Bones in fish are an issue - my Mum at 51 is still wary about fish on the bone.Thank you so much for sharing this.I hope you'll become a regular reader. The blog will also be moving home in a few weeks and with your permission I'd like to republish this comment when the recipe moves with it.The new home will be http://supperinthesuburbs.wordpress.com I hope to hear from you again soon.
Mummy & Bean says
Hi Em, that looks really yummy! Thanks for the mention!
Emma Walton says
Not a problem! I'm updating a few old recipes ready for my new website launch. Hopefully I'll get round to updating the pictures at some point as well!