Ina Garten Lemon Capellini Recipe
The Ina Garten Lemon Capellini Recipe is a perfect choice. This dish is very bright and very fresh.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of dried capellini angel hair pasta.
- 1/4 pound 1 stick of unsalted butter.
- 2 tablespoons of good quality olive oil.
- 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest 2 lemons.
- 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for the sauce.
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream optional.
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley leaves.
Instructions
Boil the Water
- Fill a large pot with water and salt. Bring the water to a very rolling boil. Capellini cooks much faster than other pasta types.
Zest the Lemons
- Use a zester to remove the yellow skin. Do not get the bitter white part underneath. Set the fresh zest aside in a bowl.
Juice the Fruit
- Squeeze the lemons until you have 1/2 cup. Strain out any seeds before you use it. This juice gives the pasta its bright flavor.
Melt the Butter
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Do this over medium-low heat until melted. The oil prevents the butter from burning quickly.
Create the Sauce
- Add the lemon juice and the zest together. Stir in the salt and the black pepper. Whisk in the heavy cream if you like.
Cook the Pasta
- Drop the capellini into the boiling water carefully. Cook it for only two or three minutes. It should be "al dente" or slightly firm.
Combine the Dish
- Drain the pasta but save some cooking water. Put the pasta into the lemon butter sauce. Use tongs to toss everything together well.
Add Final Toppings
- Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the warm noodles. Add the fresh parsley for a pop of color. Serve it immediately while it is very hot.
Notes
- Do not overcook: Thin pasta turns mushy very quickly.
- Save pasta water: Use it to loosen the sauce later.
- Fresh lemons only: Bottled juice will not taste as good.
- Warm the bowls: This keeps the thin noodles hot longer.
- Use good butter: High-fat butter makes the sauce creamier.
- Add zest last: It keeps the lemon flavor very strong.
- Salt the water: The pasta needs flavor from the start.
- Serve right away: Capellini dries out if it sits too long.