There’s one thing undeniably romantic about making pasta for somebody you’re keen on. Possibly it’s as a result of I’m all the time making an attempt to really feel like I’m consuming dinner at a cute, candlelit Italian restaurant; perhaps I simply actually like carbs. It’s laborious to say for positive. However I do know one factor for sure: The one most romantic pasta dish on Earth is spaghetti al limone, and it’s best to make it to your Valentine.
You don’t should take my phrase for it. As chef, cookbook creator, and famous pervert Matty Matheson stated in his Scorching Ones episode, mild and delicate is all the time the transfer when making an attempt to impress a date:
[The best dish to impress a lady is] one thing mild, identical to a lemon and ricotta spaghetti. If you are able to do one thing kinda delicate, and do it nicely, she’s consuming it, and she or he feels mild, she feels good, she feels full—perhaps you guys can, like, 69, or hang around, watch a film, watch Stranger Issues, no matter you wanna do.
Couldn’t have stated it higher myself, king!
Girls aren’t the one individuals who can respect a lightweight, delicate pasta dish; no matter your Valentine’s gender, a well-executed spaghetti al limone will knock their socks clear off. It’s each bit as luscious and romantic as a heavier, cheesier, porkier pasta, however extra importantly, it’s nearly unattainable to fuck up. Most recipes name for no less than slightly heavy cream, which not solely offers the aromatic taste compounds in lemon zest loads of fats to dissolve into, but additionally makes emulsifying the sauce a complete snap. With a carbonara, you may by accident scramble the yolks; with cacio e pepe, the cheese can clump up or fail to dissolve correctly. However with spaghetti al limone, the cream does all of the give you the results you want.
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There are most likely hundreds of thousands of recipes for this dish on the Web, and skimming only a few of them ought to offer you one more reason to like spaghetti al limone: Yow will discover the components at any grocery retailer, or if you have already got lemons and parm, you may even swing by the bodega on the best way dwelling. All you want is an extended pasta (spaghetti is basic; bucatini is elite), butter, heavy cream (I’m blissful to report that half-and-half works in a pinch), a lemon or two, and, optionally, a tough cheese like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano. The method can also be beginner-friendly: Gently simmer lemon zest with cream, whisk in butter, add cooked pasta and a few pasta water, toss toss toss, add the cheese, toss once more, and end with reserved lemon juice. Voilà. My go-to recipe is Molly Baz’s from Bon Appétit, however Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen additionally has a superb, foolproof, heavy cream-free model that I can personally vouch for.
I personally suppose spaghetti al limone is flawless as-is, but when it appears just a bit too primary for a special day, you may ratchet up the impressiveness issue with store-bought or home made contemporary pasta. (A lightweight, easy sauce like this one works nicely with contemporary pasta as a result of it enhances the fragile texture and taste of the pasta itself, so that you and your date can truly respect it.) Serve with one thing bubbly and brut-y and a pleasant inexperienced salad and also you’ve obtained a powerful, romantic meal that gained’t go away you too stuffed for dessert—and no matter else you may have deliberate for the night.
