When the news of COVID-19 broke and we found out we had to isolate, everyone stocked up on essentials. Pasta and toilet paper were wiped off shelves and it was almost a rarity for a few weeks until the shelves got stocked again. So since I don’t have many recipes using toilet paper, I’ve worked on a few new recipes using pasta as my main ingredient. So excited to share a few other recipes with you soon!

A reason why I love making pasta is that it is so incredibly versatile. Since it acts as a neutral base, a few simple ingredients can create so much flavour and give you a fine dining-worthy pasta dish. I’ve always had a hard time paying $20 for a pasta dish at a restaurant since it is so inexpensive and easy to make from home. To be honest, I’ve rarely ordered pasta from a restaurant unless it is their specialty. Have you ever noticed that pasta in high-end restaurants are always quite simple? Mostly minimal ingredients and fresh flavours were used. So how come when we eat pasta at home…our go-to is always to throw a jar of red pasta sauce on top and call it dinner? No thanks.

Heading into summer, I always want to eat and create dishes with bright flavours…and this one is no exception. This classic creamy lemon sauce has been adapted to make it a little more healthy since typically it is made with double the amount of heavy cream and tons of butter.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lemons

  • 12 oz of linguine, or any other long pasta

  • 3/4 cup of heavy cream

  • 2 tbsp of olive oil

  • 3/4 cup of grated parmesan

  • salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Zest the two lemons and add them into a saucepan with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Heat on medium-low to cook out some of the bitterness of the zest.

  2. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juices of one lemon into your saucepan with the oil and zest. Put the juices of the second lemon into a small bowl and set aside.

  3. In a large pot, cook your pasta according to package directions. You want them cooked al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before straining and set aside.

  4. After 2-3 minutes, turn your heat to medium until lemon juice starts to simmer. Add in the cream and your second tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk often until your sauce begins to thicken up a little, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

  5. Once pasta is strained, return it to the large pot and pour the contents of your saucepan into the pasta. Mix well so all the pasta gets coated.

  6. While mixing, gradually add in the parmesan cheese. Mix until cheese is melted and pasta is creamy about 3 minutes.

  7. If the sauce is looking thick, add in a tbsp of pasta water at a time to loosen it up.

  8. Stir in the remainder of the lemon juice and season with salt if needed.

Divide the pasta onto plates or pasta bowls. Season with a few cracks for fresh pepper and garnish with fresh lemon zest or strips (like I did in the photo). Serve immediately.

I still like to keep the reserved pasta water around in case I need to reheat for a second helping or bring the dish back to life the next day as leftovers. Creamy pasta tends to thicken when cooled, so add a splash of pasta water and it’s back to its silky creamy texture.

Enjoy!

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