Cooking
Do you believe in reincarnation? Not being part of my cultural or religious tradition the concept of reincarnation always seemed pretty farfetched to me. Except for one thing. I buy dry pasta like it's going out of style. Right now I have on hand 33 packages. From the typical angel hair, spaghetti, lasagna to the more unusual like campanelle, trinette, and maniconi. And it's been months since I purchased any. It's not like we eat it every day or anything. But subconsciously I feel the need to stock up. Could I have been a poor, starving Italian in a past life? Quite possibly.
Many people are avoiding pasta these days because of their fear of carbs. Shame really. My suggestion is to make pasta a first course instead of a main course, as it's done in Italy. My other suggestion is that when you want to make a really special pasta course, use an artisanal pasta like Pasta di Gragnano, Rustichella d'Abruzzo or the less expensive but equally good brand Latini available locally at A.G. Ferrari or look for it at your local gourmet or specialty grocer. Those dry pastas are extruded through a bronze dye which yields a rougher texture that truly holds the sauce much better than the typical brands. But for everyday meals, do like most most Italians do and choose Barilla or De Cecco, whichever you like better.
This recipe may seem strange at first, but it is piquant and delicious, perfect for those times when the cupboard is bare. I adapted it from a long out-of-print recipe booklet published by Barilla.
Lasagnette with Lemon
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
3/4 lb lasagnette (you can also use tagliatelle or fettucine)
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
4 shallots or 1 very small onion (about 1/3 cup chopped)
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash the lemon and grate the rind then juice the lemon. Peel and chop up onions or shallots. In a large skillet saute the onion in olive oil, when tender but not brown, add the lemon juice and grated rind and paprika. Cook the pasta until al dente. Toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce, adding some of the pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
- Artisanal Italian Pasta
If you go to most grocery stores or supermarkets you can find dried pasta for as little as about $1 per package. At the same time there is “artisanal” dried pasta which costs at least twice as much, and often much more. Is it worth it? Yes, it is...
- Radish Penne: Recipe
I'm not a Winter person. I love the Summer. But when Winter comes around I look forward to coaxing root vegetables into something special. Like radishes. Radishes may be available all year round, but their cool, spicy, crunchiness makes them seem...
- Spaghetti Salad: Recipe
I think you can argue that it isn't really Summer until tomatoes are juice-down-your-chin ripe. When a tomato is at it's sweet peak, I'm not alone in believing it should be eaten raw. In countries where tomatoes are grown, there are lots...
- Gremolata Meatballs Recipe
Coming back from Hawaii I was so glad to have made some meatballs and put them in the freezer. It was the perfect quick meal when the fridge was empty. Just boil up the pasta and go! They were even better the second time around. I have never made the...
- Lemony Smoked Salmon Pasta Recipe
Our box of fresh produce was delivered today and in it was a real prize. Green garlic. Green garlic is a fresh, young, green onion-like vegetable. It is very mild and just epitomizes spring. It is only available for a short time, like many other spring...
Cooking
Lasagnette with Lemon Recipe
Do you believe in reincarnation? Not being part of my cultural or religious tradition the concept of reincarnation always seemed pretty farfetched to me. Except for one thing. I buy dry pasta like it's going out of style. Right now I have on hand 33 packages. From the typical angel hair, spaghetti, lasagna to the more unusual like campanelle, trinette, and maniconi. And it's been months since I purchased any. It's not like we eat it every day or anything. But subconsciously I feel the need to stock up. Could I have been a poor, starving Italian in a past life? Quite possibly.
Many people are avoiding pasta these days because of their fear of carbs. Shame really. My suggestion is to make pasta a first course instead of a main course, as it's done in Italy. My other suggestion is that when you want to make a really special pasta course, use an artisanal pasta like Pasta di Gragnano, Rustichella d'Abruzzo or the less expensive but equally good brand Latini available locally at A.G. Ferrari or look for it at your local gourmet or specialty grocer. Those dry pastas are extruded through a bronze dye which yields a rougher texture that truly holds the sauce much better than the typical brands. But for everyday meals, do like most most Italians do and choose Barilla or De Cecco, whichever you like better.
This recipe may seem strange at first, but it is piquant and delicious, perfect for those times when the cupboard is bare. I adapted it from a long out-of-print recipe booklet published by Barilla.
Lasagnette with Lemon
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
3/4 lb lasagnette (you can also use tagliatelle or fettucine)
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
4 shallots or 1 very small onion (about 1/3 cup chopped)
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Wash the lemon and grate the rind then juice the lemon. Peel and chop up onions or shallots. In a large skillet saute the onion in olive oil, when tender but not brown, add the lemon juice and grated rind and paprika. Cook the pasta until al dente. Toss the pasta in the pan with the sauce, adding some of the pasta water if needed. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Enjoy!
- Artisanal Italian Pasta
If you go to most grocery stores or supermarkets you can find dried pasta for as little as about $1 per package. At the same time there is “artisanal” dried pasta which costs at least twice as much, and often much more. Is it worth it? Yes, it is...
- Radish Penne: Recipe
I'm not a Winter person. I love the Summer. But when Winter comes around I look forward to coaxing root vegetables into something special. Like radishes. Radishes may be available all year round, but their cool, spicy, crunchiness makes them seem...
- Spaghetti Salad: Recipe
I think you can argue that it isn't really Summer until tomatoes are juice-down-your-chin ripe. When a tomato is at it's sweet peak, I'm not alone in believing it should be eaten raw. In countries where tomatoes are grown, there are lots...
- Gremolata Meatballs Recipe
Coming back from Hawaii I was so glad to have made some meatballs and put them in the freezer. It was the perfect quick meal when the fridge was empty. Just boil up the pasta and go! They were even better the second time around. I have never made the...
- Lemony Smoked Salmon Pasta Recipe
Our box of fresh produce was delivered today and in it was a real prize. Green garlic. Green garlic is a fresh, young, green onion-like vegetable. It is very mild and just epitomizes spring. It is only available for a short time, like many other spring...