Skye McAlpine’s spaghetti with creamy lemon sauce recipe
This delicious spaghetti recipe is so simple, I can happily chat with friends and bring it together at the same time.
I don’t often trust myself to cook pasta for more than four people; the timings are too delicate, and overcooked pasta is a disaster. But this recipe is so simple, even I can happily chat and bring it together at the same time. Prepare the sauce in advance and leave it covered on the stove; while the pasta is bubbling, slice the lemon, shuffle everyone to the table and assemble the dish once they are sitting down. This is a great vegetarian option for lunch.
Scroll down for the second recipe, a green version of panzanella, is another wonderful lunch option; feel free to add a few stems of slender asparagus (raw or lightly chargrilled), shavings of fennel, or blanched, podded broad beans.
SPAGHETTI WITH CREAMY LEMON SAUCE
2 lemons
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
220ml single (pouring) cream
1 egg yolk
350g spaghetti
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch thyme
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, finely zest both the lemons and toss the zest into a deep frying pan, then add the olive oil and set it over a medium heat. Gently fry the zest for a few minutes until it begins to take on a deep, vibrant yellow colour. Pour in the cream and the egg yolk, mix well with a wooden spoon, then reduce the heat and leave to gently cook for 5-10 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then.
Add a generous pinch of salt to the boiling water, and, when it begins to gallop, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, according to the packet instructions. Finely slice one-third of a lemon. When the pasta is cooked, drain in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water (roughly ¼ cup). Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemons into the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste, then toss the pasta into the frying pan. Add the reserved cooking water, throw in the lemon slices and toss everything together. Sprinkle with thyme and serve immediately. Serves 4
PANZANELLA WITH GARDEN PEAS & BABY ARTICHOKES
200g stale crusty bread
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
150g garden peas
6-8 baby artichokes (marinated in a jar), finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 Baby Gem lettuces
Handful each of mint and basil leaves
Roughly tear the bread into pieces and place in a large bowl. In a second bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt; whisk vigorously with a fork, then drizzle over the bread. Add the peas, artichokes and spring onions, then toss together well to dress all the ingredients. When you’re ready to serve, roughly tear the lettuce leaves, mint and basil, throw in the bowl and toss again. Serves 4
Edited extract from A Table for Friends by Skye McAlpine (Bloomsbury, $49.99). Photography: Skye McAlpine
