ISO - a recipe for pasta with lemony sauce

[Jasmine-Rose]

I know this seems like something every cook should be able to whip up, but I'm definitely a recipe-follower and I can't find one. Do any of you have a favorite dish that combines lemon and pasta? A creamy sauce would be fine, as would something more simple. I think the nice weather is giving me a craving for the fresh taste of lemons. Perhaps a pitcher of lemonade will be in order after the yard work on Sunday:)

TIA!

[Vanessa]

Pasta with Lemon Sauce :Tagliarini al Limone
Mario Batali (from his tv show)

6 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh lemon zest (zest of 4 lemons)
1 pound fresh tagliarini (or 1 pound dried)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat the butter with the lemon zest over medium heat.

Add the pasta to the water and cook for 2 minutes (if using dried, follow instructions on package). Drain the pasta and add to lemon butter.

Remove from heat and add cheese. Pour into a heated bowl and serve with salt and freshly ground black pepper.


Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

[lisas3575]

As posted by OliveOyl:


Here's a good and easy recipe for Fettucine or Linguine.
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 2 lemons
good pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/3 cup good olive oil.

That's the basics. Then you can add toasted pine nuts, green beans, chicken, tomatoes, shrimp..... anything.
This is a family favorite... even the kids love it!!

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thank you both for taking pity on this recipe-dependent cook! I knew it should be a very simple thing to throw together, but I'm still not at the throw-it-together stage. I may never get there:( , but I'm having a great time in the kitchen and that's the important thing, not whether or not I follow a recipe every time:D

Thanks again, and if I should find a recipe that looks particularly good I'll post it here for you to try.

- E.

[Jen]

I've probably posted this before, but it's one of my favourite combos. I have a few variations of this recipe, but this one is the lightest! It's a great way to use cheap canned tuna...in fact, this is a very budget-conscious meal!

Penne with Tomato, Tuna and Lemon
From New Light Cooking by Anne Lindsay

8 oz penne, rotini or rigatoni pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chopped tomatoes or 3 cups coarsely chopped fresh
1 can (6.5 oz/184 g) water-packed tuna, drained
2 tbsp drained capers (I use more)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
grated rind of half a lemon (1/2 tsp)

In large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for 8-10 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, tuna, and capers; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened slightly.

Stir in cooked pasta, parsley, lemon rind and salt and pepper to taste [I also squeeze in the juice of the lemon at this stage].

Makes 3 main-course or 6 first-course servings.

Per main-course serving: 425 calories, 24 g protein, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 15 mg cholesterol, 67 g carb, 6 g fibre, 561 mg sodium. (8 WW pts)

PS I feel your pain - I'm recipe dependent too!! :o

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks Jen - for the recipe and the sympathy!

I might make this one on Sunday and chill it - it looks like it would be good as a cold pasta salad which I often rely on for lunches during the week. Have you had it cold? I'll probably substitute grape tomatoes for the chopped ones because they'll hold up better, and perhaps chopped green olives instead of the capers. Yum!

[Canice]

Granted, t'ain't light -- there's a lot going on in this dish -- but I thought it was flavorful and interesting...


Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Lemon Sauce

8 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta
2-1/2 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus -- about 1 pound
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Cook pasta in boiling water 4 minutes. Add asparagus; cook two minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and rind; sauté 1 minute. Add juice; cook 1 minute or until liquid almost evaporates.
3. Combine milk and eggs in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add pasta mixture and milk mixture to pan; stir well. Cook over low heat 3 minutes or until milk mixture is slightly thick, stirring constantly (do not boil). Stir in dill, salt, and nutmeg. Serve immediately.

[emilycat]

I have one for Pasta with Uncooked Lemon and Black Olive Sauce -- I love it and have made it dozens of times. It's also super easy and incredibly summery-tasting.
I can grab the book when I go home for lunch and post it this afternoon, if anyone's interested.

[sassafras]

Emily ~ I'd LOVE for you to post that recipe. It sounds delicious! TIA :)

I found this on epicurious. Sounds pretty good:

http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=14501

Sarah

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks to all of you for your contributions. I'm getting a nice collection just in time for the warm weather when I'll really want to be able to put together something quick and light for dinner. Keep 'em coming!

[emilycat]

I love this dish -- it's so simple, yet so incredibly flavorful. Since there aren't any veggies in the sauce, I like to serve it with a big plate of wilted garlicky greens.
I generally use whole wheat angel hair, which I don't think is too robust for the sauce, and I cut the olive oil by more than half. The better your olive oil, the farther the flavor will go, so use your best stuff for this dish. I also use oregano in place of the thyme sometimes.

From The Vegetarian Table: Italy by Julia Della Croce
Thin Spaghetti with Uncooked Lemon and Black Olive Sauce

I like this sauce because it one of the only nontomato sauces that is suitable for very thin pasta cuts such as spaghettini or capellini. The sauce is uncooked and takes just minutes to make. A word of caution, however: Use only high quality extra-virgin olive oil. A bland oil will not give the sauce sufficient flavor; it will only make the spaghetti seem oily.

zest of one lemon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup plus 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup sharply flavored black olives, such as Gaeta, Nicoise or Kalamata, pitted and sliced
2 T. chopped fresh thyme, or 1 1/2 t. dried
1 t. plus 2 T. salt
plenty of freshly milled white or black pepper
6 quarts water
1 pound spaghettini or capellini

To remove the zest from the lemon, grate it on the small holes of a standard box grater, being sure not to include the bitter white layer just below the oily yellow citrus skin. Alternately, use a citrus zester.
In a warmed serving bowl large enough to accomodate the pasta later, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, thyme, the 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Press on the garlic with the back of a wooden spoon to release its juices, and remove it just before you add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
To cook the pasta, bring the water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and the 2 tablespoons of salt to it. Frequently stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together and continue to cook over high heat. Taste the pasta to determine its doneness; it should be al dente; that is, tender but quite firm to the bite. Do not overcook the pasta. If in doubt as to its doneness, drain it immediately, as the pasta continues to cook while it is hot. Take care not to overdrain; the pasta should be piping hot and still dripping when it is transferred to the serving bowl. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water.
Toss the hot pasta with the cold sauce. Capellini have a tendency, because of their fineness, to absorb moisture rapidly, and so it is often necessary to return some of the cooking water to the sauce to prevent the capellini from clumping; the additional water will help to distribute the sauce easily through the strands. Serve piping hot.

[Jasmine-Rose]

Thanks so much for posting the recipe.

[emilycat]

You're welcome! You'll have to let me know if you try it. :)

[Little Bit]

Oh, emilycat! Lemons AND black olives? I love it!

I've got a niece who could eat her weight in either one. I'll have to try this sauce for her one day. :)

[emilycat]

I've got a niece who could eat her weight in either one.

So could I! :D

[memartha]

Jen and Emilycat,

Thanks for those recipes... regretfully, I don't have any olives on hand, but have printed out both and some variation will be my dinner tonight. I have 2 sick kids and an out-of-town husband... I need a little lift and a great lemony pasta dinner might do the trick. Martha

[emilycat]

What?!? No olives on hand?!?!!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

:D I'm just kidding; I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious -- if you come up with some wonderful masterpiece, be sure to give us the directions! :)