Food & Drink March 18th, 2010
Almost once a week, I pull down The Silver Spoon Pasta book, an encyclopedia or bible, depending on your point of view. Either way, it contains 360 classic and modern dishes covering every region of the Italian peninsula and 52 different kinds of pasta. In the winter I tended toward dishes like Rustic-Style Spaghetti with Tuna and Borlotti beans or the divine Pappardelle with Rabbit.; last fall my friend Aram Bakshian of the Wall Street Journal suggested celebrating the 20th anniversary of the end of the Cold War with the Linguine with Caviar and Vodka. There are in fact enough dishes to celebrate almost every day and any anniversary, but the one I’m most looking forward to now is the first day of spring. On that day, March 20, I’ll make the Tagliatelle with Lemon, using the last Meyer lemons of the season. It is beautiful to look at and utterly delicious, and I especially like it on the pristine white pasta plates from South of Market.
Tagliatelle with Lemon
Serves 4
3 unwaxed lemons
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup light cream
10 ounces fresh tagliatelle
salt
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Grate the rind of 2 of the lemons. Peel the remaining lemon, removing all traces of pith from the rind and cut it into thin strips. Melt the butter in a skillet. When it foams, add the grated lemon rind and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, then stir in the cream and season with salt. Do not let the mixture boil. Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of salted boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes until al dente. Drain, tip into the skillet, and toss gently. Transfer the tagliatelle to serving dish, sprinkle with plenty of Parmesan, and garnish with the strips of lemon rind.
Fresh Pasta Dough for Tagliatelle
Serves 4
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, preferably Italian type 00, plus extra for dusting
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt
Sift the flour and pinch of salt into a mound on a counter. Make a well in the center and add the eggs. Using your fingers, gradually incorporate the flour, then knead for about 10 minutes. If the mixture is too soft, add a little extra flour; if it is too firm, add a little water. Shape the dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured counter or use a pasta machine to make a thin sheet, and cut into strips about ¼ – 3/8 inch wide and let dry on floured dish towels.
Note: If you are not inclined to make your own pasta, dried tagliatelle (preferably from Cipriani) is fine.
-Julia Reed
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