Easy Dinner: Spicy Lemon Pasta

My husband and I adore this dish, with its assertive flavors it is certainly not for all tastes, though.

This recipe is adapted from Mario Batali and it appears in his Molto Italiano cookbook.


Source

1 pound of linguini or spaghetti
3 lemons (JUICE AND ZEST but no seeds)
3 jalapenos sliced thin, seeds and ribs removed
1 medium sized red onion sliced thin
½ tsp to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 stick of butter, room temperature
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Remove the zest and juice the lemons. Combine and set aside.

Slice the onion and jalapenos and set aside in separate piles or containers.

Sauté the onions and red pepper flakes in olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) in a large pan until softened and slightly brown. You can add a little bit of salt to help the onion lose water more quickly. This takes about 8 minutes.

I like to do the previous steps ahead of time. The onions reheat quickly, so you don’t have to worry about timing too many things. Especially if you are preparing additional sides or meat to go with this meal.

Bring your salted pasta water to a boil and add the noodles. Follow the package instructions regarding the timing.

When the pasta is nearly done and the onions are hot, add the jalapenos and sauté over medium heat for one minute. Add the lemon juice and zest mixture and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute.

Once the pasta is finished and drained, take the sauce off of the heat. Add the butter and stir to combine. Then add the noodles and toss. Once the sauce is coating the noodles add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!