Spaghetti al Limone
I am happy to do my part to help #flattenthecurve. But all this staying at home has me missing Italy more than ever. Maybe you, too? Thankfully, there is good food to conjure the places we can’t wait to return to.
Today I’m dreaming of Sorrento and the towns along the Amalfi Coast that spill down into the Bay of Naples in a riot of color. This slice of Campania, in southern Italy, is famous for its beaches, profusion of flowers, staggering cliffs, and treacherous coastal roads.
Like the region itself, Campania’s food sparkles; it’s fresh and zesty. Think seafood, meaty tomatoes, tangy buffalo mozzarella, and the creamiest gelato. And lemons. Lots of lemons. Sorrento’s aromatic and sweet lemons are known the world over. They are large, with a medium-thick bumpy rind and pulp that has a balanced sugar content and verges on sweet. They are the lemons that brought the world Limoncello.
They are also the star ingredient in this classic creamy pasta dish. There are plenty of variations of this recipe; some contain wine, others lots of butter; some, like mine here, use cream. You can add herbs to your liking or a grinding of black pepper.
Even without those glorious Sorrento lemons, you can still make a delicious dish of Spaghetti al Limone. Look for organic lemons that have not been treated with pesticides. Those with rough, rather than smooth, skins, are best, as they contain more of the essential oil that give lemons their bright and zesty aroma.
SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup (55g) extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 cup (250g) heavy cream
Fine salt
1 pound (454g) spaghetti or spaghettini
1/2 cup (50g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional:
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously.
2. While the water is heating, make the sauce. Combine the olive oil and lemon zest in a heavy-bottomed saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta. Set the pan on low heat and cook, stirring now and again, until the lemon zest starts to sizzle gently.
3. Stir in the cream and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until the cream is heated through and just beginning to simmer, 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time. The sauce will thicken slightly. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
4. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions until al dente. Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta to the saucepan, allowing some of the pasta water to drip into the sauce as well. Toss gently to combine. Add the Parmigiano and a few grindings of pepper. If you are using herbs, add them now and gently toss again. Serve with more parmigiano for sprinkling on top.