I think, for most people, a fancy-sounding Italian pasta dish like this one is something they’d only ever order from a restaurant. I also think most home cooks tend to always treat their pasta in two ways: covered in a heavy, meaty tomato sauce, or a creamy, cheesy one. While I LOVE those kinds of dishes, pasta can also be light, bright, and perfect for a quick dinner on a warm summer night. Hello, Pasta al Limone! It’s a classic Italian dish and always includes a few essential things: a long pasta, like spaghetti, lemon juice, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. The sauce is bright, salty, and lemony, and is easy to emulsify thanks to the all starch from the pasta and pasta water. I’ve added a few extra ingredients (that all happen to be fried! 🙂 ), and I think they make this classic even better: capers for briny, umami flavor, oregano for an herbal note that perfumes the entire sauce, and breadcrumbs that get perfectly golden and crunchy in a little olive oil.
1. Emulsification
Emulsification is the process by which two liquids that usually wouldn’t mix together are combined into one, homogeneous mixture. In this case, we’re combining the lemon juice and the olive oil, and you’ll see tips and tricks in the recipe to help retain lots of pasta starch since it’s the secret ingredient for good emulsification!
2. Frying Capers and Oregano?
Frying these ingredients, especially the oregano, may seem odd at first, but frying does two important things: it helps the flavors of both ingredients bloom, which means the heat of the oil brings out and intensifies their flavors. It also makes them crispy, which adds great texture to the final dish!
3. History of the Dish
Like many traditional dishes, Pasta al Limone is a reflection of the local produce in the region where it was created. It’s hard to credit any one place exactly, but most sources agree that this dish is from the Almafi coast and surrounding towns, where lemons are abundant and so they’re used in many applications, from Limoncello to Pasta al Limone!
Pasta al Limone with Fried Oregano and Capers
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained and patted dried
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice, about 3-4 lemons
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Flaky salt, to finish
Instructions
- Line a dinner plate with paper towels and set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, carefully add oregano leaves and cook, agitating with a slotted spoon,until they turn a slightly darker shade of green and begin to crisp, about 30 – 45 seconds. Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and place on the prepared plate to drain excess oil.
- To the same skillet, add capers and cook, stirring as needed, until they ‘pop’ and begin to crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and place on prepared plate to drain excess oil.
- Add panko to remaining oil in the skillet and toast over medium-high heat, stirring often to cook evenly, until panko is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside in a small bowl. Wipe out skillet and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season heavily with salt, then add pasta and cook according to package directions to al dente. Once the pasta reaches desired doneness, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain. Place pasta back in the warm pot while you make the sauce. This will help keep the pasta warm, as well as add additional starch to help emulsify the sauce better.
- Add butter to reserved skillet and melt over low heat. Once melted, add shallot and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add lemon zest and juice and cook for 1 minute more. Add lemon butter sauce to the pot of pasta, stirring quickly with tongs to create an emulsion. Slowly add in pasta water and Parmesan cheese and continue to stir quickly until a creamy, luscious sauce forms.
- Divide the pasta among four warm pasta bowls and top evenly with oregano, capers, breadcrumbs and more fresh lemon zest. Season with flaky salt and serve immediately.
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