Simple pasta recipe uses butter and lemon – 03/20/2023 – Food

Lemon, olive oil and garlic are the basis of many pantry meals, a harmonious trio that I use to flavor practically everything – fish, chicken, vegetables, cereals – and that I only leave aside in desserts because, well, garlic… Many often enriched with flakes of pepper and parmesan, the combination makes any dish gain a deep and complex flavor, without the cook having to make a great effort to get there. It’s an easy, effortless alchemy that never fails.

However, as solid as this combination may be, there are times when a person feels that urge to shake things up. This is especially true at the beginning of the year, when new ideas seem to promise a bold tomorrow and there is a sudden need to renew old, trusted habits.

And so, recently, when I decided to make one of my favorite pasta recipes, I put aside the bottle of extra virgin olive oil I usually rely on and instead grabbed butter from the fridge and put it in a frying pan to heat until melt and brown, which filled the kitchen with a sweet and pleasant aroma.

Then, instead of adding thin slices of garlic fried in fat, as I usually do, I put sliced ​​almonds in the mixture, which resemble garlic but have a mild, not pungent, taste. I let the combination toast and brown to accentuate the brown butter flavors and add a crunchy side.

As for the lemon—the only part of the original trinity I decided to keep—I mixed in the peel and juice, then added a zesty kick by sprinkling in chili flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Finally, to turn the whole thing into a one-pot meal, I added handfuls of arugula, and watched as it melted into the hot noodles, gaining a silky consistency without losing its peppery edge.

The end result was a pasta that had nothing in common with its predecessor, seasoned with olive oil and garlic, but bright and spicy, hot and buttery in its own way, and delicious—a brand-new dish with roots. ancient and venerable.

Typically, for this type of minimalist recipe, my recommendation is that the best ingredients are used: the best Parmigiano-Reggiano; handmade macaroni drained into an antique brass colander; expensive, high-fat butter; and similar products.

But after testing the recipe several times with a wide range of ingredients, I can guarantee that the versions made with common supermarket products were almost as good as those made with more expensive products. So you can use whatever you have at home. Dinner will still be delicious — which, after all, is the whole point of a true pantry meal.

PASTA WITH BUTTER AND LEMON, ALMONDS AND ARUCULA
Melissa Clark’s recipe

Golden butter, crunchy almonds and tangy lemon make a rich but balanced sauce for this pasta that’s easy to make with whatever you have in your pantry. The arugula adds freshness and rounds the dough, allowing you to prepare this recipe quickly and in one pot. If you want to up the vegetable content, double the amount of arugula (just add a little more lemon juice.) And if you don’t have cultivated (or wild) arugula on hand, spinach or kale are good substitutes, albeit slightly more smooth. Don’t skimp on the red pepper flakes; its spicy side helps harmonize the flavors.

Performance: Four to six servings
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Half a kilo of linguine or spaghetti
• Six tablespoons of unsalted butter
• A cup of sliced ​​almonds
• Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
• One-quarter teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• A quarter cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
• One tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest
• 120 to 150 grams arugula, chopped into large chunks, or kale or spinach (four to five cups)
• grated parmesan, to serve

Preparation:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it’s within a minute of being “al dente” — usually a minute or two less than the package directions recommend. Separate about 1.5 cups of water from the pasta, then drain the rest.
• While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet or brazier, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the foam dissipates, the milk solids are golden brown and the butter emits a nutty aroma, three to four minutes. (Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.)
• Stir in the almonds, rosemary, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are browned and browned, about 1 minute.
• Add about a cup of pasta water to the skillet and cook over low heat. Add the lemon juice, zest of the rind, a quarter teaspoon of salt and a large pinch of black pepper, then add the drained pasta and mix well. Add arugula, mix until wilted. Simmer for an additional minute, if necessary, to thicken the sauce until thick and glossy. If the mixture looks dry, add more pasta water, one tablespoon at a time.
• Taste and add more salt, red pepper flakes and lemon juice if needed. Serve with grated parmesan and additional red pepper, to taste.

translation by Paulo Migliacci