When I first made lemon spaghetti, I used Giada de Laurentiis recipe; while I liked it, my family didn’t–it was too sour/tangy for them.
I gave this dish another try using Rachel Ray’s recipe. I must say, I like this one better because of the addition of garlic, red chilli flakes and some cream; the cream tamed the sharpness of the lemon taste. I added less lemon juice because I decreased the quantity of the pasta to make just enough for us, that way there’ll be no left-overs because I tend to forget about left-overs, by the time I realize I have them, it’s already been in the fridge for too long- not very appetizing to eat anymore.
LEMON SPAGHETTI
by Rachel Ray courtesy of Food Network
Ingredients:
salt
10 ounces spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 cup (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced
Here’s How:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.
Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.
When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.
Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.
Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese and basil.
Lemon Spaghetti
Ingredients
- SALT
- 10 OUNCES SPAGHETTI
- 3 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
- 5 CLOVES GARLIC FINELY CHOPPED
- 1/2 TEASPOON CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES
- 1 LEMON ZESTED AND JUICED
- 1/2 CUP HEAVY CREAM
- 3/4 CUP GRATED CHEESE
- 1 CUP 10 OR 12 LEAVES FRESH BASIL, VERY THINLY SLICED
Instructions
- BRING A LARGE POT OF WATER TO A BOIL. SALT THE WATER AND DROP THE SPAGHETTI INTO THE POT.
- HEAT A LARGE DEEP SKILLET OVER LOW HEAT. ADD EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND GARLIC AND CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES.
- WHEN THE PASTA HAS BEEN COOKING ABOUT 5 MINUTES, ADD LEMON JUICE, A LADLE OF THE COOKING WATER FROM THE PASTA AND THE CREAM TO THE GARLIC AND OIL. RAISE HEAT A BIT TO BRING SAUCE TO A BUBBLE.
- DRAIN PASTA WHEN IT STILL HAS A GOOD BITE TO IT, AL DENTE. ADD LEMON ZEST AND HALF OF THE CHEESE TO THE CREAM SAUCE. SEASON THE SAUCE WITH SALT, TO TASTE. ADD PASTA TO PAN AND TURN OFF HEAT. TOSS THE PASTA WITH SAUCE A MINUTE OR 2, ALLOWING IT TIME TO SOAK UP THE SAUCE.
- TOP THE PLATES OF PASTA OR PLATTER WITH REMAINING CHEESE AND BASIL.