Simple Yet Spectacular: Spaghetti a la Limone Recipe (with Wine Pairings!)

Last Tuesday, I co-hosted the Summer Sips wines of Portugal wine dinner with Renee Ventrice, Wineaux O'Clock and Natalie Ramos, Maria de la Fleur Restaurant.  Chef Tiana, Maria de la Fleur restaurant (Leesburg, VA), orchestrated an epicurean delight. Among the six courses, spaghetti a la limone shined bright.  It is a simple pasta dish with overwhelming flavor. In a word; it is delectable.

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Spaghetti a la Limone

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Zest of 4 lemons

• Juice of 4 lemons, ; this should total close to a 1/4 cup

• 1 cup packed freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese + more for garnish

• 1 pound dried spaghetti pasta

• coarse salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Add the oil and butter to a large saucepan and heat over low to medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Add in ½ of the lemon zest and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to help release some of the lemon flavor.

3. Pour in ½ of the lemon juice and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to concentrate the flavors of the lemon even more.

4. Set the pan aside.

5. Drop the dried pasta into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until al dente.

6. Drain the pasta and add it to the lemon butter saucepan.
   Immediately add ½ cup of the hot pasta water along with the remaining lemon juice, lemon zest (reserve a little bit for garnish), cheese, salt, and pepper.

7. Toss the pasta repeatedly and vigorously to melt the cheese and emulsify it with hot water and pasta to make it creamy. The sauce should not break or be stringy. If you are nervous that the sauce will not come together, start by sprinkling in and tossing the pasta with half of the cheese. Once it’s mixed in, toss it with the remaining cheese.

8. Add the pasta to a bowl and serve it with additional cheese and lemon zest.

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Wine Recommendations

2020 Casa Cadaval Padre Pedro White, Tejo, Portugal

2021 Chocapalha Artino, Lisboa-Douro, Portugal

2021 Opulence Pinot Grigio, Lodi, California

2022 Sato Pinot Gris 'L'Atypique', Central Otago County, New Zealand