This super easy and elegant recipe for pesto salmon pasta is perfect for company. Plan it into your menu for the week; have grilled salmon steaks one day and grill two extra, then refrigerate, covered, until you make this recipe a day or two later. You can also use salmon that you cook specifically for this recipe. Season the salmon any way you'd like. We prefer using olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and dried basil. We have made this recipe with hot smoked salmon in place of the grilled salmon steaks. Just break the salmon into chunks, use about 1/2 pound and add to the recipe when directed. We haven't made it with canned salmon, but that would work in a pinch. Because the dish is so simple, it's perfect for entertaining, especially if you are a beginning cook. This pasta dish tastes like so much more than the sum of its ingredientsServe this easy and elegant dish with some toasted garlic bread and a fresh green salad tossed with grape or cherry tomatoes and a simple vinaigrette dressing.