Easy Elegance - Spaghettini al Limone

There are several Lemon-driven recipes here on Neurotic Kitchen (find them HERE, HERE and HERE) and the reason for that is simple: I love the stuff. Today's incredibly simple but elegant meal will delight your palate and is a worthy choice for dinner parties, date nights, or any time you want to treat yourself. 

As a bonus, its low-cost ingredients will keep you within your New Year's budget, but the austerity stops there; a sinful amount of Butter makes this not all that diet-friendly, but, incredibly, the finished dish manages to feel so light and refreshing that it is perfect for a first course to get your tastebuds ready for more. Once the Pasta is cooked, this dish comes together in just 5 minutes, so with your mis en place ready to go, you can make it with guests on hand and only be gone from the party very briefly.

Spaghettini al Limone, Photo: NK 

Spaghettini al Limone
Serves 6 as a light appetizer, 4 as a heartier appetizer
Very lightly adapted from Maria Batali

Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons Salted Butter 
Pound Spaghettini or other thin long pasta
2 Tablespoons Salt 
1/4 Cup Lemon Zest (from about 4 lemons)
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese 
3 Tablespoons finely chopped Chives 
Extra Salt and Ground Pepper 

Method: 

Boil a large pot of water with 2 Tablespoons of Salt in it. 

Meanwhile, in a very large saute pan, add the Butter and Lemon Zest and heat over moderate heat, stirring. 

Once water is boiling, add the Pasta and cook until just al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup Pasta Water and drain the pasta. 

Add drained Pasta to the saute pan. Toss Lemon Juice onto it. Toss to coat with Lemon Zest and Butter Mixture and loosen with a tablespoon or two of pasta water, tossing continuously over medium heat for about a minute until thickened. 

Turn off flame and sprinkle on Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. Taste for Salt and add more if needed. Season liberally with Black Pepper. Divide Pasta among plates and sprinkle with chopped Chives. Serve with extra Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. 

Enjoy!! 

Lemon Lust - Crab Pasta with Lemon and Chive Butter Sauce

I love lemons. Always have,  always will. Even back when I was a little girl, my mother would catch me chewing on lemon wedges the way normal kids might an orange segment. I really have never been "normal." It was just that I couldn't get enough of their super tart flavor, tooth enamel be damned. 

Today, I'm still very attracted to dishes that feature lemon, so while searching for an easy but summery pasta recipe, I was thrilled to come across the Daily Crave's Crab Pasta with Lemon and Chive Butter. Really, who could say no to a lemony pasta with crab and butter? Certainly not me. 

Crab Pasta with Lemon and Chive Butter Sauce, Photo: NK

My adaptation of this recipe uses Backfin Crabmeat instead of Lump Crab. Backfin is cheaper and although the crab chunks are slightly smaller than lump, they are still substantial, sweet and tasty. 

Photo, NK 

The original recipe recommends Meyer Lemons. Meyer Lemons are slightly sweeter and more floral tasting than regular lemons. I couldn't find them in my neighborhood this time around, but I would imagine they would only increase the deliciousness of this dish. 

Photo: NK

Finally, I cut some of the butter down a bit. This is not a light recipe, although it tasted very light once finished and was just as decadent with half the butter. 

Enjoy!

Crab Pasta with Lemon and Chive Butter Sauce 

Adapted from The Daily Crave 

Serves 2 as an Entree, 4 as an Appetizer

Ingredients:

Half a box of Spaghettini or other thin pasta (8 oz)

1 Lb Backfin Crab Meat, picked over for shells

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine

1/4 Cup Champagne Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar

1 large Shallot, chopped finely

3/4 stick Cold Salted Butter

6 Tablespoons finely chopped Chives

1 teaspoon Lemon Zest

1/4 Cup fresh squeezed Lemon Juice

Salt

Pepper

1/4 Cup chopped Parsley

Method:

Cook Pasta according to the box directions in boiling salted water. 

Drain pasta, reserving about a 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium flame, combine Shallots, Wine and Vinegar. 

Boil until liquid is reduced to just over a Tablespoon. 

Reducing the liquids, Photo: NK

Reduce heat to lowest flame and add Cold Butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until all Butter is incorporated. 

Turn off the heat and add 4 Tablespoons of the Chives, Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, and a generous amount of Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Chive, Lemon and Butter Sauce, Ready for Crab, Photo: NK

Next, mix in most of the Crab Meat, setting aside about a 1/2 cup to top the Pasta with later.

Pour the sauce into a large, deep sauté pan and add the pasta. Toss and heat through, adding Cooking Water if needed a Tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce and pasta. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. 

Plate the pasta and top with the reserved crab meat. Sprinkle with the remaining Chives and some Fresh Parsley. 

Dinner is served! 

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