Do you ever buy an ingredient and go home and look for ways to use it? I did with this 21-inch long spaghetti pasta that I spotted in my favorite Italian grocery store.
This is how “the grandmothers” use to make it and then often broke the pasta in half before boiling. Now, it is actually a marketing gimmick (sure got my attention), playing on the traditional appearance of the long stuff. I knew I would be breaking it up – I always do even for the regular spaghetti.
There are other ways you can use these noodles: 1) long noodles traditionally represents long life in Chinese cuisine; 2) If you cook it super long you will have extra-fork-twirling action. I don’t know about you but I don’t twirl my pasta! 3) It is harder to eat but the sauce sticks to it better.
I did find a recipe by Rachel Ray which also used one of my favorite liqueurs – Limoncello! This always brings back great memories of our trip to Sorrento, Italy and the Amalfi coast. We actually drove starting with Venice down to this beautiful region full of lemon trees, stunning views and great fish!
Limoncello Pasta with Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
- 1 lb. of 2-foot long pasta (mine measured 21-inches) – I broke it into fourths
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup limoncello or you can use white wine like a Pinot Grigio
- 2 lemons, 1 peeled for the dish and 1 zested to garnish (use organic and rough, rather than smooth, skin lemons)
- 1 cup fresh basil, loosely packed and torn
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, shredded, Asiago cheese would be a good choice too
- garnish with additional cheese and lemon zest
Bring a large pot of water to boiling, add salt and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, saving some of the pasta water and return the pasta to the pot.
Combine the garlic, cream, limoncello and lemon peel over medium-high heat in a medium-size saucepot. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic clove and lemon peel from the sauce and discard.
Add the sauce, basil and a couple handfuls of Parmigiano-Reggiano to the reserved pasta. Season to taste and toss to combine. Add pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
Garnish with additional cheese and some lemon zest.
With some leftovers I added some medium shrimp. Peel and devein the shrimp; dry with paper towels; “brine” with 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/4 tsp. baking soda per pound of shrimp (per J. Kenji Lopez). Heat 1 tbsp. butter (or oil, or combination) in a large saucepan until sizzling; add the shrimp. Cook on both sides until the shrimp barely curls and is no longer grey – a few minutes depending on the size of your shrimp.
Add to the reheated pasta and serve with additional cheese and minced basil.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
For a couple more cream sauce recipes using limoncello look at:
Salmon with a Limoncello Cream Sauce
Shrimp Crepes with a Limoncello Butter-Cream Sauce
Limoncello got my attention and then shrimp held it. Sounds absolutely amazing! 🍃🍋🍤
Once I bought the pasta and found a recipe using it I was sold too – looks like I need to buy some more Limoncello 🙂
Lemon and seafood cooked together in a cream sauce, yes please.
Thanks Karen – I love the combination too as evident by the different recipes I have made!
The combination of pasta and lemon is always a favorite, and the addition of Limoncello is brilliant. 🙂
My favorite too Ronit – any excuse to use Limoncello, have some pasta and then throw in some shrimp 🙂
this sounds delicious judi. i too break up my pasta before boiling it. i just don’t like those dangly bits dripping sauce all over my face. not that i am a big pasta eater at any time:-)
It really was Sherry – I am a big pasta eater all year long and when it comes to spaghetti I prefer it broken in half and even quarters!
Hi Judi! I sure could use some of those noodles these days and I’d be having them long. Great recipe, but the cream is a no-no for me these days. I’ve been experimenting with low/no fat cream substitutes, so your recipe will be perfect to try one with…
Well, hello Ron! Glad to see you back and feeling better – I knew your diet would have to change. Please post any recipe where you can use low-fat and it still tastes good!
Great recipe! It’s too cold to think about lemons and basil yet, but I will print this recipe. I do like to buy pasta shapes and then pick the sauce.
Thanks – I am a big pasta eater – my whole family is. In the winter I have to sacrifice and buy those packets of basil but that’s what makes this recipe shine! Lemon – you don’t cook with lemons in the winter? Each to their own – I use a lot in cooking and have a wedge in my water every day.
I guess I don’t cook with lemons in the winter. They seem more spring and summer to me. But I do love them in water!
Love lemons in water every day! Lemons appear often when I cook fish, seafood, chicken and pasta. Baking not so much anymore because I need people to share it with me (thanks covid-19) – I know you don’t bake much either…
Ahh, limoncello pasta sounds amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this – what a fab idea. And that long spaghetti is so cool – I wish I could find some here, my kids would love it.
Thanks Katerina – for some reason this message went to spam – so sorry for not responding sooner. When I saw the pasta at the grocery I had to buy it and see if there were recipes for using it. I knew I could just break it in half but it’s always fun to learn something new. Especially, the fact that this is the length the grandmothers use to make 🙂
I’ll have to look for the brining tip for shrimp. I brine chicken and most things feathered but have never thought of seafood. Lovely recipe, lemon is such a wonderfully bright flavor.
Never thought to brine shrimp until this recipe. Google “serious eats brined shrimp” and you will see what I did. I received an email from Food 52 with one of his shrimp recipes and he mentioned brining it. Why not, right 🙂 I love lemon too – I should move south or west so I could have my own trees!