I have complicated feelings towards Italian pasta—simple and terrain-blessed ingredients pulled together for wonderful flavour, yet it’s often only sauce that dominates with hardly any toppings.
Perhaps there is a reason behind it, like Curry Boy reminds me: ‘Italians don’t just eat a plate of pasta; it’s a primo, then they’ll have a main.’
It makes sense.
Although at home, I prefer cooking one plate as a meal; that’s why I like my pasta covered in veg.
This linguine with lemon and Parmesan looks simple, but it’s more work than most of the pasta I made: grating a good amount of cheese is equivalent to a 15-min medium arm workout.
Its simplicity demands a decent quality of the ingredients: cheese, oil, and lemon. I think they alter the outcome in a noticeable way, so find the best you can.
By the way, I learned this recipe from Rachel Roddy’s cookbook: Two Kitchens: 120 Family Recipes from Sicily and Rome.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 150 g dried linguine
- 70 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 55 g extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small unwaxed lemon
- salt and pepper
How to Make
- First, grate the Parmigiano Reggiano. Then start cooking the linguine in salted water.
- Warm a large bowl in an oven or with hot water, pat dry. Add the olive oil in the bowl, followed by half of the lemon zest and juice. Whisk it until emulsified.
- Stir in a large handful of grated cheese and keep whisking. The sauce will thicken up, and the residual heat of the bowl will help pull all the ingredients together.
- Keep tasting on the way. Most likely you’ll need to add more lemon juice. If the sauce appears to be too thick, gradually pour in some more olive oil or pasta cooking water. Then taste again.
- When the linguine is done, drain and toss with the sauce in the bowl. The heat from the pasta will further complete the sauce, with every strand clinging to a grainy cream sauce. Add more salt if required.
- Freshly grate in more lemon zest and black pepper before serving.
