Spaghetti with Lemon, Capers & Colatura di Alici
This is my version of a dish I ate in the town of Minori on the Amalfi Coast while I was traveling through the Italian south learning my pasta craft....
Serves 4
This is my version of a dish I ate in the town of Minori on the Amalfi Coast while I was traveling through the Italian south learning my pasta craft. It is the perfect sense memory for the region, redolent of the grapefruit-sized Sorrento lemons and the briny, umami-burst of the anchovies from up the road in Cetera. It's especially good in the wintertime when citrus is at its peak--which is why I've marked it a winter recipe--but of course it's delicious year-round. If you don't have access to good lemons, dial back the salt and try making it with a spoonful of the If & When preserved lemon paste!
Ingredients
juice and zest from one large lemon1/3 cup parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons salt-packed capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon or more Colatura di Alici (colatura is strong, so start with less and add more)
1 pound Semolina Artisanal Pasta Spaghetti
Directions
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil.
Cook spaghetti until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving pasta water to emulsify the sauce.
Add drained pasta, lemon juice, lemon zest to a cold sauté pan with a cup of reserved pasta water and cook together, mixing with a wood spoon and moving your pan vigorously to create a creamy sauce. Toss in chopped capers and stir through. Remove from heat.
Finish with chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon of colatura di alici. Toss once more to combine and serve.