Pasta Al Limone Food

PASTA AL LIMONE

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil-use an amount of water so that the pasta is more crowded in the water than it typically would be (see photo in blog post above). Cook the noodles until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• When the pasta is nearly done cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. If the garlic is done cooking before the pasta is ready, remove the pan from the heat so the garlic doesn't burn.
• IMMEDIATELY (as soon as the pasta is drained) add the hot pasta to the skillet with the garlic. Pour in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Increase the heat to medium-high, then with a pair of tongs, toss to coat. Continue cooking and tossing constantly, until the sauce turns shiny and coats the noodles-it will take a minute or so. The pasta will be coated in a shiny, silky sauce. If the pasta becomes too tight at any point, splash in a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water (add the water slowly so that the pasta doesn't become watery).
• Zest the lemon over the top. Cut the lemon into quarters, then squeeze in the lemon juice. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Toss again to combine. The cheese might be a bit clumpy at first, but just keep tossing, adding the tiniest splashes of pasta water only as needed. Add a good pinch of salt and several generous grinds of black pepper. Toss again. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving plates and top each serving with a sprinkle of extra Parm and a bit more black pepper. Enjoy hot.

CREAMY LINGUINE PASTA AL LIMONE

Steps:

• Grate off the zest/peel of the lemons being careful to leave the pith (white part). Then cut the lemon(s) in two. You want to end up with about a flat tablespoonful of zest
• Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add two half lemons to the water and squeeze the lemon juice from the second lemon into the water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt, let it come to the boil again and add the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan or skillet. Add the lemon zest and let it cook just a few moments, until you begin to smell the lemon. Then add the cream to the pan, Stir well and add the grated Parmigiano cheese, a pinch of salt and ground pepper.
• Allow the cream to cook a bit, then turn it off. Add a generous sprinkling of finely chopped parsley and mix.
• Cook the pasta until just al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is almost cooked, add a half ladle of the pasta cooking water to the lemon cream and stir it in. Save a bit more of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce
• Mix well, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavors of the sauce add a little more pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
• Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little more grated lemon zest, chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano if required.

LEMON SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove two (2"-long) strips of lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining zest into a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into a small bowl to yield 2 Tbsp.; set aside.
• Add cream to pot and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted and sauce is creamy. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in another large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
• Scoop out ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid and add to cream sauce. Return sauce to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce and cook, tossing often and adding Parmesan a little at a time, until sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. If sauce looks tight, add 1-2 Tbsp. more pasta cooking liquid. (Cream sauces tighten as they cool, so lean on the saucy side.) Stir in reserved lemon juice; season with salt.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper and top with reserved lemon zest strands.

MARCELLA HAZAN'S "PASTA AL LIMONE"

Steps:

• In a large skillet, bring the cream and butter to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the lemon juice and the zest and reduce the volume by almost half.
• Remove from heat.
• Have your cooked and drained pasta (I like fettucine for this one -- ) ready to go.
• Add the pasta to your skillet with the sauce and toss to coat over medium heat.
• Add the cheese and toss for a few more seconds.
• Serve with additional cheese.
• Note: Marcella calls for the zest of 4 (!) lemons, but I thought it a bit over the top -- just me.

SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE: SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water and stir immediately to prevent the strands from sticking. Cook the spaghetti to 'al dente'.
• Cut the garlic in half and rub the exposed area along the interior of a large serving bowl. The raw garlic flavor will coat the inside surface of the serving bowl. Discard the garlic. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil while whisking. Whisk until the ingredients have emulsified. Mix in the salt and Parmigiano cheese.
• When the spaghetti is 'al dente', drain and add to the serving bowl. Mix the pasta with the lemon sauce to coat evenly. Sprinkle the pasta dish with Parmigiano cheese, fresh parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

PASTA AL LIMONE

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove 2"-long strips of lemon zest. Thinly slice each strip lengthwise into thin strands; set aside for serving. Finely grate remaining zest and transfer to a large pot (like a Dutch oven). Cut lemon in half and squeeze out enough juice to yield 2 Tbsp. into a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook pasta in another large pot of boiling heavily salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (pasta will finish cooking in the sauce).
• Meanwhile, add cream to pot with lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until liquid is just beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk in butter 1 Tbsp. at a time until melted and sauce is creamy and emulsified. Remove from heat.
• Just before pasta is al dente, scoop out 1½ cups pasta cooking liquid. Add ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid to cream sauce and return to medium heat. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti to pot with sauce (it's okay if a little water comes along with it). Cook, tossing often and adding Parmesan little by little, until cheese is melted and sauce is creamy, about 3 minutes. If sauce looks tight, add 1-2 Tbsp. pasta cooking liquid. (Cream sauces tighten up very quickly as they cool, so it's better to lean on the saucier side of things.) Stir in reserved lemon juice; season with more salt, if needed.
• Divide pasta among bowls. Season with pepper, then top with reserved lemon zest strips.

SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE (CREAMY LEMON SPAGHETTI)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and set a timer for 2 minutes less than the cooking time recommended by the manufacturer (the pasta will keep cooking in the sauce.)
• While the pasta is cooking, set a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the heavy cream, then very finely grate the zest of the lemon into the cream (using a Microplane is best). Mix the zest into the cream and bring the cream to a gentle simmer. Start incorporating the butter, 1 or 2 cubes at a time, whisking to incorporate the butter to the cream as it melts. Add more cubes gradually, whisking constantly as you go. (Whisking constantly is the key to emulsify the sauce.)
• Once all the butter is incorporated, start sprinkling the parmesan over the sauce. Add the cheese very gradually and keep whisking to melt and incorporate the cheese into the sauce. Repeat until all the parmesan is incorporated. (Adding the parmesan gradually will prevent it from clumping and create a super smooth sauce.) Turn off the heat.
• When the pasta timer goes off, use tongs to transfer the pasta to the pan containing the creamy lemon sauce. It's okay if some water comes along with it. DON'T discard the pasta water, you'll need some of it to complete the dish.
• Return the saucepan to medium heat. Add ½ cup (125 ml) pasta water to the pan and stir to combine. Bring the sauce back to a simmer and keep it running for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens around the pasta just enough to coat it. A bit of the sauce should still pool at the bottom of the pan, but if there's still a lot of loose sauce, keep simmering until the texture seems right.
• Squeeze the juice from the zested lemon and stir it into the dish. Season with a very generous amount of black pepper. (Kids might prefer to go without the black pepper!)
• If using, stir the baby spinach and protein into the pasta and cook for a few seconds more, just until the spinach loses its volume. Add a bit more pasta water to keep things saucy. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. Serve immediately.