PASTA AL LIMONE
What's better than pasta aglio olio? Very few things, but one of them is its saucy cousin, pasta al limone. Traditionally a creamy emulsion of oil, lemon, and pasta water, this simple but indulgent dish can be amped up a number of ways. Let's lemon! Or something.
Ingredients
Original Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
Parsley, chopped
1 large lemon
Pasta
Olive oil
1 tsp chili flakes
1 large lemon zest, separately
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2-3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
Homemade Pasta Ingredients:
All-purpose flour
3 eggs
Salt
American Al Limone Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
Parsley, chopped
1 large lemon
Pasta
Olive oil
1 tsp chili flakes
1 large lemon zest, separately
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2-3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbsp butter
½ cup heavy cream
Egg Slurry Al Limone Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
Parsley, chopped
1 large lemon
Pasta
Olive oil
1 tsp chili flakes
1 large lemon zest, separately
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2-3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp cream
3 oz parmesan cheese, grated
Method
Original Method:
Start by peeling and thinly slicing 1 large clove of garlic. Then, roughly or finely chop some fresh parsley and roll 1 large lemon along a work surface before cutting it in half.
For homemade pasta, in a large amount of all-purpose flour shaped into a crater, crack in 3 eggs, a pinch of salt and begin mixing it until a slurry forms. Toss it together until a ball of dough forms. Knead continuously for 7-10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To roll out, generously flour the dough and work surface before rolling the dough out with a roller to a thickness of 1 ml. Generously flour and fold like an accordion, making sure that each fold does not overlap.
Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into the desired size before unfolding and twisting into nests to prevent pasta kinks.
In a sauce pot, bring just enough water to cover the pasta to a boil before adding in the pasta. Make sure to stir after adding the pasta to ensure no sticking.
For the Al Limone sauce, add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a high-walled saute pan. In addition, add the sliced garlic from earlier, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, the zest of 1 lemon, and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Once the garlic is a light blonde, dump in the pasta if using store-bought (1-2 minutes shy of being done), and if using fresh pasta only boil for 30 seconds before adding.
Once pasta is added, give everything a toss to fully incorporate everything.
Over medium-low heat add the juice of either ½ a lemon or the juice of 1 whole lemon, a small pour of olive oil, ¼ cup of freshly chopped parsley, and 2-3 ounces of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Stir together until combined.
After everything has been combined, add in ¼ cup of boiling pasta water and toss together. Add a splash at a time as necessary, checking to see if it’s too thick or thin. If too thick, add more pasta water. If too thin, add more cheese. Season with kosher salt.
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, twist up and serve. Garnish with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped parsley, and grated lemon zest.
American Version Method:
In a sauce pot, bring just enough water to cover the pasta to a boil before adding in the pasta. Make sure to stir after adding the pasta to ensure no sticking.
For the Al Limone sauce, into a high-walled saute pan goes 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, sliced garlic from earlier, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, the zest of 1 lemon, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of butter, and ½ cup of heavy cream. Mix to combine.
Once combined, dump in the pasta if using store-bought (1-2 minutes shy of being done), and if using fresh pasta only boil for 30 seconds before adding.
Once pasta is added, give everything a toss to fully incorporate everything.
Over medium-low heat add the juice of either ½ a lemon or the juice of 1 whole lemon, a small pour of olive oil, ¼ cup of freshly chopped parsley, and 2-3 ounces of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Stir together until combined.
After everything has been combined, add in ¼ cup of boiling pasta water and toss together. Add a splash at a time as necessary checking to see if it’s too thick or thin. If too thick, add more pasta water. If too thin, add more cheese. Season with kosher salt.
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, twist up and serve. Garnish with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped parsley, and grated lemon zest.
Slurry Al Limone Method:
In a medium-sized bowl, crack in 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of cream, and 3 ounces of grated parmesan cheese. Which to combine.
In a sauce pot, bring just enough water to cover the pasta to a boil before adding in the pasta. Make sure to stir after adding the pasta to ensure no sticking.
For the Al Limone sauce, into a high-walled saute pan goes 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, sliced garlic from earlier, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, the zest of 1 lemon, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix to combine.
Once combined, dump in the pasta if using store-bought (1-2 minutes shy of being done), and if using fresh pasta only boil for 30 seconds before adding.
Once pasta is added, give everything a toss to fully incorporate everything.
Over medium-low heat add the juice of either ½ a lemon or the juice of 1 whole lemon, a small pour of olive oil, and ¼ cup of freshly chopped parsley. Stir together until combined.
After everything has been combined, add in ¼ cup of boiling pasta water and toss together. Add a splash at a time as necessary checking to see if it’s too thick or thin. If too thick, add more pasta water. If too thin, add more cheese.
Off the heat, slowly add in the egg slurry while simultaneously stirring the pasta and adding pasta water if needed. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Once the sauce has reached the desired consistency, twist up and serve. Garnish with extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped parsley, and grated lemon zest.