Tagliolini al Limone

I avoid making this delicate pasta dish in the hotter months of the year because of the caloric cream. But the welcome freshness of the lemons brings a whiff of spring in the bleakness of this rainy mid winter. If you decide to make homemade tagliolini from scratch for this recipe, your guests will have an extra reason to feel pampered.

Image © Pentole di Rame

500 gr (1.1 lb) tagliolini

The zest of 2 lemons, plus their juice

200 ml (1 cup) heavy cream

1 small shallot, finely chopped

50 gr (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Parmigiano, grated

White pepper (optional)

While you wait for the pasta water to boil with a fistful of sea salt, film a large skillet with butter and heat over medium-low heat.

Sauté the shallot and add the lemon zest and juice. Stir in the cream and maintain at a very low simmer.

Drain the tagliolini al dente with a pair of tongs (to retain a little pasta cooking water) and toss them into the creamy lemon sauce in the skillet. Blend to coat the pasta well over mild heat for a few minutes, and serve garnished with more sprinkled zest, grated Parmigiano and an optional light dusting of white pepper.

You can pair your lemony tagliolini with fruit-forward white wine and a veal second course or a rich mesclun salad and seasonal fruits, steamed prawns and flowers thrown in among the greens.