LEMON CREAM FETTUCCINE

1 HOUR
4-6 HAPPY BELLIES

One of the best things about food is its ability to bring people together, especially a dish like Lemon Cream Fettuccine. When I fantasize about my dream home, it has less to do with the size of the house and more to do with the size of my dining table. I want evenings filled with dinner parties and mornings spent deep in conversation over coffee and pancakes. I dream of filling my home with food and love. This is because most of my favorite memories are times spent in the kitchen with my friends and family.

While Max and I were visiting two of our best friends in Portland last winter, we found ourselves with nothing to do on a rather rainy afternoon. (Classic PNW.) When one of our friends mentioned that she had a pasta maker, the rest of the day was spent laughing over glasses of wine and pouring over cookbooks. We decided we wanted to make a simple dish that made the flavors of the fresh pasta stand out.

Making pasta from scratch was fascinating and surprisingly easy, but if you don’t have the time or energy for it, dry pasta is always an option too. This creamy and zesty dish is perfect for a dinner party or an evening in with your favorite people. I recommend having a cooking party so that you can share the process with friends and bring even more joy to the dinner table.

INGREDIENTS

For the pasta:

As a beginner in this world, I adapted my recipe from Pasta, irresistible recipes for perfect pasta by Linda Fraser. You’ll need:

2 cups of All-Purpose Unbleached Flour + additional flour for dusting
2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Fresh basil, chopped (we added this bit for more flavor, but it’s not necessary for a delicious meal)
Optional: Lukewarm water for stubborn pasta

For the sauce:

A dash of salt and pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
The juice of 2 lemons
1-3 Garlic Cloves (to taste)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
5 tbsp butter

PREPARATION

For the pasta:

Mix together the flour and salt
Make a mini mountain of this mixture in the middle of your work surface
Hollow out the middle, like a volcano blew up.
Carefully crack the eggs into the center, then beat them lightly with a fork.
As you mix, slowly incorporate a bit of the flour wall until it all comes together.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour and begin to knead your dough. Somewhere within the 10-15-minute range, the dough should become a tight and elastic ball. If it is being awfully stubborn, a little warm water helps to bring things together faster.
Cut your dough ball into quarters.
Starting with one quarter, shape the dough into a ball and roll it out into a long rectangular shape.
*If you have a pasta maker* Feed the pasta through the dough press. You may have to repeat this step 2-3 times to get the desired thickness. I prefer a thick noodle so I only run it through 1-2 times.

*If you do not have a pasta maker* You can achieve similar results by evenly rolling out the dough with a rolling pin.

10. *If you have a pasta maker* Feed the pasta through the noodle cutter.

*If you do not have a pasta maker* Fold the dough into thirds, then use a knife or pizza cutter to slice your noodles.

For the sauce:

The sauce requires constant attention, so don’t begin until the pasta is almost ready to be cooked.
In a saucepan, melt the butter on low.
Add the garlic and allow it to cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn it. (Nobody enjoys the taste of burnt garlic.)
Add the cream and stir continuously.
This is where cooking with company becomes helpful. Once the sauce begins to thicken, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper and stir for another couple minutes.
Add in the cheese and stir until the sauce is completely smooth. I always suggest some taste testing here. If the sauce is too thin, add more cheese and butter. If it is too thick, add more cream. If a change needs to be made, do so in small quantities- it is better to make multiple small additions than to have to start all over.
Plate the pasta.
Pour roughly ¼ C of sauce on each bowl of pasta, depending on how many you are feeding. We fed 4 quite happily with this recipe, but our plates were massive.
Garnish with fresh basil and a few pinches more of parmesan. Voila.

Pair With:

Sip: Wine for company: Soraie Veneto 2015, they say dessert wine, I say anytime wine
Listen: Music that requires you make time for dancing while you cook: Dino, Italian Love Songs by Dean Martin