#QuarantineCooking: Lemon cream pasta

I’m not sure why, but lot of people are cooking carbs at home while in quarantine: rice, pasta, sandwiches. So chef Mitchell, who’s adept at pasta dishes at Bogart’s Cafe, shared a quick and easy recipe (which you can also find in different variations on Bon Appetit) that is luxurious and will impress your family.

PASTA AL LIMONE

Ingredients:
1 large lemon
12 oz spaghetti
Kosher salt
Chopped Italian parsley
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (Mitch only used 3)
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground black pepper
Olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it al dente. You’re going to cook it again at the end of this recipe.

Meanwhile, peel thin 2-inch strips from 1/2 of the lemon with a vegetable peeler and set aside. Zest the rest of the lemon. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze enough to make about 2 tablespoons.

Heat a pan over medium high heat. Pour the heavy cream in and add the lemon zest. Whisk as it comes to a boil and thickens a little, then reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan. Toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss again. Add the butter and toss again.

If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little of the pasta cooking liquid to loosen it up a bit.

Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper, a little olive oil, and garnish with lemon strips. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

I also made it myself, and I remember making this a long time ago from a recipe I found in Martha Stewart Living magazine. In that recipe, they added a dollop of ikura at the end for added color and saltiness to complement the richness of the sauce.

Disclosure, Bogart’s Cafe is my social media client.