Not Diet Food
No, this is definitely not that.
Not when there’s a ton of heavy cream in it.
Sometimes, though, you need to live big, go for the gusto and just enjoy without looking back.
“Fettuccine with Meyer Lemon Cream” is one of those times.
This creamy, rich pasta dish is from “Home Cooking with Jean-Georges” (Clarkson Potter) by the esteemed Chef-Restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
It’s a simple, meatless dish of supple noodles coated in velvety cream infused with Meyer lemon zest and juice. Part of the cream mixture is reduced until quite thick, then tossed with the pasta before the rest of the cream mixture is added. Vongerichten says this technique creates a dish “that tastes ultrarich and light at the same time.” I chuckled a little when I read that, because truth be told, it’s still pretty decadent stuff.
But I pat myself on the back because I used fresh fettuccine that I made myself with whole wheat flour. I don’t know if the whole grain negates the heavy cream, necessarily. But it sounds good, doesn’t it?
Fettuccine with Meyer Lemon Cream
(Serves 4)
8 ounces fresh fettuccine or store-bought fresh fettuccine
Semolina flour, if using fresh dough
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
2-ounce block Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper
If using fresh pasta dough, roll dough through a pasta machine on each setting from widest to narrowest. Roll once more through the narrowest setting. Cut the dough into 12-inch long sheets with a sharp knife, then pass the sheets through the fettuccine cutter. Toss with semolina flour to prevent sticking. You can cover the pasta with a damp paper towel, then plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
Meanwhile, whisk together the cream, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a large, deep skillet. Boil it rapidly, stirring frequently, until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes.
Drain the pasta well and add to the lemon cream. Reduce heat to low and toss until well coated. add remaining cream mixture and lemon juice and continue tossing until well coated.
Divide among 4 shallow bowls. Grate cheese directly over the pasta, forming a little mound. Grind a generous dose of pepper over pasta. Serve immediately.
From “Home Cooking with Jean-Georges” by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko
Another Recipe From that Book: Butternut Squash with Balsamic and Chile Panko Crumbs
More Lemon Recipes: Rosemary Olive-Oil Cake with Lemon Glaze From the Girl & the Fig
And: Saveur’s Best Damn Meyer Lemon Cake
And: Emily Luchetti’s Lemon Squares
And: Preserved Lemons
This sounds beautiful. You had me at “not diet food”. In any case, these are good ingredients, lovingly prepared… so diet food it may not be, but it’s good food.
Those fettucine look ever so scrumptious and tempting! Great flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’ve been getting so SICK of all the diet commercials this month so THANK YOU for blogging about something so opposite! LOVE it! I’ll defintiely have to add some type of meat for my meatlover hubby though…I’m thinking maybe Italian sausage?
Jean-Georges cookbooks are my favorite! This fettucine definitely sounds amazing!
Mmmm no, you are right, sometimes a dish like this is just called for – and meant to be thoroughly savored and enjoyed. Slowly. I used to make a similar dish quite often – pasta, heavy cream, lemon and parmesan – and served it with slices of smoked salmon and it was heaven! Yours looks fabulously delicious and now it is time for me to make it again. And another cookbook I want to see.
You weren’t kidding about the cream. LOL. I’m sure it’s totally worth the extra trips to the gym. 😉
Oh, it’s a good thing I can just look at this picture because there’s no way I can make this for myself. However, maybe a glass of red wine with this dish might negate all the heavy cream? Hmmmm….
This certainly sounds and looks like heaven on a plate. It also is a dish one doesn’t share, be selfish!!!
Creamy pasta is my ultimate weakness. With that dash of meyer lemon, I imagine it is some pretty unstoppable goodness. Thanks for this recipe post!
Homemade fettucine with this sauce sounds incredible! Maybe the lemon makes it light? 😉 Light or not, this is something I want to try.
Gorgeous! I just got a sack of Meyer lemons in my CSA box. I’m on it.
Now that is an impressive dish of pasta! I bet it was so much nicer with pasta you made yourself, too.
Yup sometimes you just have to go for the full fat rich cream and not think about the calories. It doesn’t hurt to do that every now and then does it? 😉
Waw! What a tasty recipe: So easy yet so stylish & fab! Yum!
making a dish with meyer lemons automatically increases its sophistication factor in my eyes. 🙂
That pasta looks soooo amazing! 😀
I think as long as you eat things like this in moderation from time to time it is party living life to its fullest!