Punxsutawney Phil has apparently lied to us, and it looks like an early Spring is on the way (at least for us in Portland). Time to start pulling out those lighter Spring recipes, and Drew is already on it! A note on Meyer Lemons- “Meyer lemons, with their hint of orangey sweetness, make a bright and irresistible flavoring for this early Spring pasta dish. For an extra-special touch, garnish with lemon rind strips and serve with lemon wedges.”
Prep time: 20 minutes. Serves 4 (1 cup servings)
Calories-331; fat 10.3g (sat 6g, mono 2.8g, poly .7g); Protein 13g; Carb 46g; Fiber 2g; Chol 35mg; Iron 2mg; Sodium 605mg; Calc 167mg.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz uncooked Bucatini or linguine pasta
- 1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about ¼ cup)
- 2 teaspoons grated Meyer lemon rind
- ¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 oz part-skim ricotta cheese (about ½ cup)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta over a bowl; reserve ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons cooking liquid.
- Place 6 tablespoons cooking liquid, lemon rind, juice, cream, and ricotta in a blender; process until smooth
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ricotta mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
- Add pasta, chives, salt, and pepper. Add remaining ½ cup cooking liquid as needed to make mixture creamy.
- Remove from heat; stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Variation:
To make this really special, add 8 oz Dungeness crab or saute ¾ lb cooked medium shrimp (peeled and deveined) in garlic and butter. Either toss into the pasta or serve on top. Delicious!
