When life gives you lemons, make a lemon cream pasta sauce. ~Me
For some reason, everyone thinks that the only restaurants I like are Italian. There are really not on the top of my list of places I want to go since I like cooking my own Italian food. Not long ago, though, Mike and I were at an Italian restaurant with friends, and I ordered pasta with a lemon cream sauce. I didn’t ask for the recipe as I figured they wouldn’t share, so I had to find my own.
This recipe is for the sauce only. I have made it and added shrimp and asparagus to it and I imagine chicken would be good with it. Some of the recipes I read call for adding garlic, red pepper, and other spices, but I prefer my simple version.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces angel hair
- 1 T olive oil
- Zest of two small or one large lemon
- Juice of the above lemons
- 12 ounces half-and-half
- 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese (This is optional.)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Put the pasta on to cook. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, and half-and-half in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until cream begins to boil. Add the cream cheese and stir constantly until it melts.* Drain the pasta and place it in the pan with sauce. Mix well. Pour in the lemon juice and mix again. Serve with your favorite grated cheese.
*If you are adding shrimp or asparagus, add it after the cream cheese melts and let it cook a few minutes to allow them to cook and flavor the sauce a bit.
coldpastaandredwine.com 