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Linguine al Limone

Posted June 24, 2009 by Sharon 9 Comments

Linguine al limone is a silken melange that complements grilled summer seafood.

Linguine al limone is a silken melange that complements grilled summer seafood.

She had me at “limone.” That’s because lemon is perhaps the best flavor on the planet.

When Sara posted a comment longing for a recipe for chitarra al limone she ate in Sulmona, she set me on a delectable sleuthing mission.

Sara wrote:

Sulmona’s where I had maybe the best pasta dish of my life…but I can’t remember the name of the restaurant. The dish was chitarra al limone, unlike any I’ve had before or since. I’ve tried several recipes, but nothing comes close. When I asked the owner for her secret, she said “limone!” I said, I know…and what else? She smiled and said, “solo limone, signora.”

She’s going to her grave with the secret. I thought it might be that they used that panna that comes in little tiny cartons and doesn’t need refrigeration, but I tried it and that wasn’t it. The secret’s still in Sulmona…

When I asked Sara for more description, she offered this:

It was very very light and I don’t remember that it was creamy, buttery or eggy. It was as if essence of lemon and very little else coated each strand… I’ve tried just olive oil and lemon with a touch of cream but that just wasn’t the same.

Armed with these clues, I speculated that the dish had to contain cheese, probably Parmigiano-Reggiano, to counter the tartness of the lemon and help create the luxurious mouth feel that she described.  I’m thinking that Sara’s signora wasn’t being coy when she said “solo limone.” To her, cheese is probably just a “given” not worth mentioning.

I consulted the usual reference suspects: Ada Boni’s Italian Regional Cooking, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane (Solares), Artusi’s The Art of Eating Well, The Ultimate Italian Cookbook by Carla Capalbo and Marcella’s Italian Kitchen. None offers a recipe for chitarra al limone. Giuliano Bugialli’s Bugialli on Pasta has a Spaghetti al Limone recipe “from all over Italy” containing quite a bit of butter and cream, more of a lemon- flavored cream sauce than the intense lemon sauce desired by Sara. Michele Scicolone has a Linguine with Lemon recipe in 1,000 Italian Recipes but it’s made with butter. For an Abruzzese dish, I felt that olive oil would be more traditional.

A Web search brought up several more cream-based recipes but also one for Spaghetti al limone on Oprah’s site-created by Moira Hodgson-that captured my attention with this description: “silky, no-cook sauce of Parmesan, lemon zest and olive oil coats spaghetti strands like cream.”

I prepared Hodgson’s recipe exactly as written, using linguine which is easier to source than chitarra. I loved the technique of first whisking the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and lemon juice. I think the acid in the juice helps to dissolve the cheese.

First, whisk the freshly-squeeze lemon juice into the grated Parmigiano.

First, whisk the freshly-squeeze lemon juice into the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

The pasta was delicious, but for my taste, there was too much oil pooling in the dish and the lemon flavor was too prominent. Knowing that lemons can vary greatly in tartness, I felt it would make sense to hold back some of the lemon juice to add (if needed) after tasting the pasta.

So, I prepared a second batch, cutting back on the oil and holding back on adding all the lemon juice at once. The results were silken. Very nice for summer. It may be served alone as a primo or as a side dish with grilled shrimp or salmon.

Next, whisk the olive oil into the lemon-Parmigiano paste to create an unctuous sauce.

Next, whisk the olive oil into the lemon-Parmigiano paste to finish the sauce.

Here’s hoping Sara will try the recipe and report back to us.

Linguine al Limone
Print
Recipe type: primo (first course)
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Sharon Sanders
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Salt
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided (or more to taste)
  • 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound dried linguine
  • Chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional)
Instructions
  1. Set a covered large pot of salted water over high heat.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk ¾ cup of the cheese and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to make a paste. Gradually add the oil while whisking constantly until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest, salt and pepper.
  3. When the water boils, add the linguine and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water before draining. Return the linguine to the pot. Add the lemon sauce. Toss to coat. Taste and add as much of the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice as desired to taste. Add a few tablespoons of reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed. Allow to sit for a few minutes for the linguine to absorb some of the sauce. Toss in some torn basil or chopped parsley if desired. Pass the additional ¼ cup (or more to taste) Parmigiano at the table.
3.2.2124

 

Filed Under: Abruzzo, Culture, Food, Language, Recipes Tagged With: Abruzzo, Italian cooking, italian food, linguine al limone, pasta al limone

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Comments

  1. Madeline Peters says

    February 26, 2015 at 3:28 PM

    Am very anxious to make this pasta dish. Thank you so much and am happy our local specialty store gave me your website.

    Reply
  2. Charles Mecklenburg says

    June 17, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    You need to use cream as well.

    @Allen what restaurant? Caprilla Savardina perhaps (on the way to Villa Jovis)?

    http://www.caprilasavardina.com/en/location.html

    This is by far the best Linguini Al’Limone I’ve had, and I don’t think she used egg, but I didn’t ask.

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    May 31, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    I have been making something similar for years, but expanded it into a one pot main dish supper for teenage boys by adding cooked spinach. (The youngest and last at home always requested spinach and garlic,but I feel that the garlic is too “raw” and prefer it without….) This was our comfort food when “Dad” was out of town. Simple and so good!

    Reply
  4. Allen says

    May 29, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    I just returned from Capri where I first tried this dish. The restaurant I ate at used an egg yolk too. She said 1 egg yolk, so I’m guessing it was 1 per serving.

    I used 3 tablespoons of lemon and found it a bit tart. It really depends on the lemons you use, so start with very little and work your way up!

    Now if I could only find lemons from Sorrento it would be perfect.

    Reply
  5. Mai says

    December 10, 2010 at 11:59 PM

    did i do something wrong? my Parmigiano-Reggiano was clumpy and unable to get it to be that creamy consistency. should i have used a better grade? be more patient?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      December 11, 2010 at 11:28 AM

      Ciao, Mai,

      Try adding a bit more of the reserved cooking water to smooth out the sauce.
      Sharon

      Reply
  6. Sara says

    April 18, 2010 at 11:31 AM

    Sharonissima!
    I’ve been on a low carb diet (yay! lost 40 lbs) practically since you gave me this recipe. Finally served it yesterday for my mother-in-law’s 91st birthday lunch–to RAVES. It was so good, everyone wanted to lick the pot. I used fresh linguine from the local pasta maker, who sadly had no chitarra, the Abbruzze pasta. Also used a wonderful basil olive oil instead of plain. It was heavenly, and mama said it was just like what you’d get in Sulmona. My sister and brother in law concurred, foodies both.

    Thanks so much! This one’s a keeper!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      April 18, 2010 at 11:39 AM

      Cara, Sara,

      I’m thrilled that the linguine al limone was a success — and at such a momentous celebration. Grazie mille for the report!

      Sharon

      Reply
  7. The Food Hunter says

    June 25, 2009 at 12:32 PM

    What a deliciously fresh recipe. Thanks

    Reply

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