Pasta with Salmon and Asparagus in a Smoked Gouda Sauce

Never made a gouda sauce? Well neither had I. But when I walked by the gouda cheese in the store, I was inspired, so I set out to try it.

SAUCE:
-Mushrooms and garlic sauteed in butter
-milk
-grated (or cut up tiny in a cuisinart) gouda
-tiny but of flour
-lots of fresh basil and scallions
-salt and pepper
-steamed asparagus
-cooked salmon



The finished product:

It was a nice change from our usual pastas, and the smoked flavor of the gouda complemented the salmon and the mushrooms really well. The only problem was, we had too much sauce for the pasta we cooked. Guess we're having leftovers!

I don't get credit for the salad, but it was a great accompaniment to the pasta.