Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce
September 23, 2009 posted by Linda Avery
by Jennifer McLagan
from Fine Cooking
(Taunton Press, 2009)
Serves 4
Video Interview
Like all good pasta dishes, this recipe for angel hair pasta with lemon cream sauce has so few ingredients, all must shine. If you happen to have some grappa on hand, the fiery Italian spirit is a delicious alternative for the gin in this pasta dish.—Jennifer McLagan
convert Ingredients
Kosher salt
2 lemons
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup gin or grappa
12 ounces fresh angel hair pasta
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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Method
1. Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of one of the lemons; set aside. Cut a thick slice off both ends of the zested lemon to expose the flesh. Stand the lemon upright, then cutting from the top down, remove the peel, including all the white pith.
3. Holding the lemon over a bowl to catch the juice, use a paring knife to cut along either side of each segment to free it from the membranes; let each segment fall into the bowl as you go. Once you’ve removed all the segments, squeeze any juice from the membranes into the bowl and then discard. Remove the seeds and set the segments aside in another small dish. Measure the lemon juice in the bowl. Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze to obtain 2 tablespoons of juice in total.
4. In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, place the cream, gin or grappa, and lemon segments and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the lemon cream sauce thickens slightly, 5 to 8 minutes Remove the pan from the heat.
5. When the water boils, cook the angel hair pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Drain. Reheat the lemon cream sauce over medium-low heat.
6. Add the lemon juice to the sauce, along with the drained angel hair pasta and half of the grated lemon zest. Toss the angel hair in the warm sauce to coat thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in warmed pasta bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest and the parsley.
Recipe © 2009 Fine Cooking. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.
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I had this for dinner last night and—WOW—it was incredible! I was skeptical before trying it: Lemon with pasta? How can that possibly work? But it did, and beautifully. The lemon flavor was powerful but not overwhelming, and the cream sauce brought a silkiness to the overall dish that I enjoyed with every bite. The pasta works well on its own but could be served as an appetizer or a side along with red meat. However the dish is served, I believe the eater will be in awe of its unsusal and wonderful flavors.
As The One said above, we made this for dinner last night. It was surprising and unusual. With the first bite, I kind of turned my head like the dog in the old RCA commercials. I couldn’t quite figure out if I liked it or not. But after a few more bites, I really took to it. The sauce was creamy with a punch of lemon. We used shells instead of angel hair pasta (it was what we had in the pantry), and, actually, I think I’d prefer it to angel hair. I added a lot of freshly ground black pepper and some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Weird, I know, but the sweetness of the cheese worked nicely off the lemon. We enjoyed it so much we ate the entire pot ourselves.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. Make sure to find small lemons. Use lemons the size of grenades, and you’ll be puckering all night.
2. Hold back 1/4 or so of the lemon sections. Mix together the sauce and pasta. If it’s not lemony enough for you, add the reserved lemon pieces a bit at a time.
3. Cook the tossed pasta over very low heat, stirring often—it helps the pasta absorb and thicken the sauce.
[Kim Venglar] Fresh pasta, lemons, and cream…oh my! The first time I made this recipe it was very tart. I used the seedless lemons I always buy, and the dish just puckered your mouth. So, I tried it again using small lemons, and it’s now a Testers Choice recipe for me. It’s the perfect pasta dish for our family since the ingredients are always on hand. The dish is simple to prepare and you should have everything measured and ready to go before you start the dish. It’s just that quick to put together. The first taste is nirvana in your mouth. You have the richness of the heavy cream, the smooth texture of the fresh pasta, and then bits of lemon pulp that burst in your mouth and give you that extra little something ever so often. I served it with some sautéed chicken cutlets, and it was fantastic meal.