The lemon is one of the best-known and most versatile fruits from the citrus family, which also includes lime, pomelos, oranges, yuzu (Japanese lemon, or yuja in Korean). During ancient Greek and Roman times in the Mediterranean, where it spread from its origin in India, the lemon was used a condiment and a medicament; and in medieval times it spread even further afield when it was brought back to Europe by crusaders returning from the Middle East.
Nowadays, lemons are used in many different cuisines around the world. Most Southeast Asian recipes, such as Indonesian and Thai, still prefer lime rather than lemon. Lemon contains 5 to 6 percent citric acid, which gives it a sour taste. Lemons are used not just for their juice but also for the fruit and the rind or zest, particularly for pastries, confectioneries and beverages. A good lemon should be heavy with a strong fragrance.
Lemons are versatile. You can use the juice for marinating, salad dressing, cocktails, lemonade or limoncello, the southern Italian lemon liquor. Sliced lemons are an essential accompaniment for seafood dishes.
The outer skin, the zest and the rind, have a beautiful strong lemon flavor with a touch of bitterness; it’s important to use a good grater. The zest is good for lemon tarts, lemon curd, mousses, souffles, candied lemons and savory dishes such as honey-glazed carrots.
For this week’s recipe, I have prepared capellini pasta with lemon cream sauce and prawns. The dish is very simple to make, and is light and refreshing. Enjoy!
Capellini with lemon, prawns and cream
You can use pappardelle, spaghetti or tagliatelle in place of the capellini if you prefer. You can serve this dish as a starter, in small portions, or as the main course with bigger servings. Serves 4
Ingredients
• For the pasta : 200gr capellini; 1.5 liters water; 1 tablespoon salt; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
• For the sauce : 100gr butter; 200gr fresh large prawns; zest of 1 lemon; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 150ml cream; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; salt and black pepper to season.
Directions:
1. Bring the water to a boil. In the meantime, shell the prawns and remove the heads. Leave the tails intact. Grate the lemon zest and put it aside.
2. In a frying pan, heat the butter on low-medium heat and add the prawns. Add the lemon zest and cook slowly for 2-3 minutes depending on the size of the prawns.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and cook for another minute.
4. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and mix well. Add the cream, then add the rest of the lemon juice and taste the seasoning. Put the sauce aside. If it becomes slightly dry you can add 3-4 tablespoons of the cooked pasta water later on.
5. Sprinkle salt into the boiling water and add the capellini. Cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce. Check the seasoning. Add a touch more lemon juice or salt if necessary.
7. Spoon the dish onto 4 warm serving plates and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle the dish with extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.
The post Enjoy Creamy Capellini Pasta With An Added Zing of Fresh Lemon appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.