Sunshiny Citrus And Italy’s Perfect Lemons
Italy is serious about lemons. When was the last time you thought about the varietal last time you bought a lemon? Beyond “yellow” and “round,” there isn’t too much to think about when you’re shopping for citrus at the American grocery store. Southern Italy is especially well known for its lemons, and Sicilian lemons are famous for their taste and essence. The bright flavor of lemons goes well with many savory dishes, including Linguine with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Garlicky Beans with Lemon Dill and Trout.
What is Pasta al Limone
Since we saw Stanley Tucci sniffing lemons in “Searching for Italy,” we’ve had citrus on the brain. Traditional pasta al limone with asparagus is a popular dish in southern Italy, and even though it’s a cream-based sauce, it’s nice and light because of the zesty citrus. Recipes for lemon pasta call for a variety of cheese–from fresh ricotta to aged Parmigiano Reggiano–and we like to use pecorino Romano for its sharp saltiness. Our pasta al limone recipe also includes asparagus, because why not?
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pasta – This recipe is best with long noodles like spaghetti or cult classic bucatini.
Asparagus – When it’s good, it’s so good. And asparagus cooked quickly with garlic is just delicious. You could also use leftover Grilled Asparagus, if you have it.
Lemon zest – Makes so many things taste *that* much better, like Shishito Peppers!
Heavy cream – We don’t call for heavy cream unless it’s worth it, and we’ll just say, it’s really worth it in this sauce for pasta al limone.
Pecorino Romano – Folks often use Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano interchangeably, and with good reason. They’re both sharp, a little salty, and super dry. For this lemon spiked pasta, we think that Percorino Romano plays better with the lemon, but feel free to substitute parm if it’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Pasta al Limone
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy and salty pasta water to add to the sauce.
Cook the asparagus and garlic in a large saucepan.
Make the sauce. Stir in the pepper, lemon zest, heavy cream, and salt. Add in the butter, and stir until melted and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir in the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce along with the parsley, basil, cheese, and reserved pasta water. Stir until the pasta is coated and the cheese is mostly melted.
Serve! Divide the pasta between bowls and sprinkle with more grated pecorino Romano, lemon zest, and a few more turns of freshly ground pepper.
How to Store Pasta al Limone + Tips
If we’re following tradition, this pasta al limone, would be eaten while hot. All of it, with nothing going into the fridge or freezer for future pasta cravings. This isn’t one of those pasta dishes that freezes well. We’ll direct you over to our Classic Lasagna Recipe if you’re looking for something that freezes well!!
When life gives you lemons, zest them. It seems intuitive, but we were today years old when we discovered that you use your dominant hand to move the citrus zester over the surface of the lemon, and not the other way around. You can definitely move the lemon over the zester, but you won’t have as much control over the zesting.
Reserve the pasta water! This is something we’re getting more accustomed to doing. It helps to add body and to season the sauce. It’s easy to control the amount you’re using, which will also help you get a better feel for the technique, with a glass measuring cup.
Lemon Makes Everything Better
Here’s a few more of our favorite lemon-forward recipes from The Modern Proper:
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