Serves 6
Notes
When I was opening up my first restaurant in New York in the early 1970s, everyone wanted fettuccine Alfredo—a much heavier and richer dish than this one, but it always reminded me of this close ancestor from Italy. Lemons from the Amalfi coast and Sorrento area have a particularly fragrant rind, a lot of pulp, and juice high in acidity. They are used most often to make the liqueur limoncello, but in this recipe, the acidity of the lemons cuts into the fat of the cream a bit, making a very balanced dish. The lemony flavor is like a bite of summer in your mouth. If you have been to the Amalfi coast, the home of the limoni sorrentini, you’ve surely had this delicious dish, and wondered how it can be so simple and so delicious. Well, here is the recipe.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the water when you’re ready to start the sauce.
For the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once it begins to foam, add the lemon zest and peperoncino. Let the zest sizzle for a minute; then add the lemon juice, and bring it to a boil. Add the cream and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring the liquid to a simmer to thicken it slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Once the spaghetti is al dente, remove it with tongs to the simmering sauce and add about 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta in the sauce, and let it simmer a minute to thicken the sauce and coat the spaghetti, adding a little pasta water if needed.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Toss it, and serve.
