New Recipe #19: Lemon fusilli

Of all the “to try” pockets in my recipe binder, the tightest-packed one is definitely the pasta pocket. I adore pasta. I will eat it in any form, at any temperature, for any meal, at any time. It is my carb of choice; I will eschew the bread at Italian restaurants so as to leave room in my stomach for the main event. For one of my birthdays, my mom threw me a “pasta fest,” with three different types of pasta with all different sauces. I think I should do that again sometime…

To satiate my bottomless pit of pasta love, I am constantly searching out new ways to work with what some (misguided) folks may consider a tired, has-been foodstuff, and last night, I tried a recipe for lemon fusilli that I had seen on Barefoot Contessa. I know, it’s been all lemons, all the time around here! Here’s the thing — up until recently, JG was under the impression that he did not like anything lemon, which sharply turned my love of the tangy citrus to an unrequited one. After I made a lemon basil pasta salad a couple of weeks ago, he came to the realization that he didn’t like lemony things that were meant to be sweet, like lemon squares or lemon meringue pie, but savory things were fair game.

I’ll take it! Trot out the lemony recipes!

Method
Ina’s recipe was surprisingly simple and easy to follow. Whenever I watch her, I have my doubts that the processes are so clean and easy, because her garlic comes peeled, her water comes boiled, and her baking sheets come greased. It must be nice! This time, I took cautionary measures against being flustered (as is my custom with a new dinner recipe) by chopping the garlic, zesting and juicing the lemons, and reducing the broccoli to florets before I started anything else. I took a little longer to make the dish than I should have, but at least I wasn’t stressed out.

I made a few tweaks to the ingredient list:

• I used tricolor rotini because I couldn’t find fusilli at the store.
• I omitted the third lemon to save JG’s taste buds, and I didn’t quite understand why Ina just tosses one in at the last minute.
• I substituted baby spinach for the arugula.
• I only used a handful of tomatoes because I would be the only one eating them.

I also opted to use the same water to blanch the broccoli and cook the pasta. Even with our household “you cook, I clean” policy, I like to be economical with my dish use. Why dirty up two pots when they were both for boiling water? Sure, the broccoli turned the water a little green, but that didn’t make a difference. The only trouble I had with the process was getting my cream sauce to simmer properly, but that is no fault of the recipe; I still have not figured out how to do it on our electric stove. One would think that almost three years in a house would have taught me that, but alas, no. Overall, the recipe proceeded just as Ina had predicted, and there were no unpleasant mishaps along the way.

Taste
The tradition at our dinner table is that whoever doesn’t cook gets to take the first serving, so JG dug in to the pasta before I got a chance. Now, I had already given him the disclaimer that I had reduced the lemony goodness so that there would be less chance of a “too much lemon!” complaint, but JG smacked his lips and said, “It’s definitely lemony, but it’s good!” I sprinkled Parmesan cheese on my helping, and took a bite. Yes, the two lemons’ zest and juice made the dish distinctly lemony, but the creamy base softened the acidity. The pasta had soaked up the sauce nicely, and there was barely any left pooling at the bottom of the dish. This dinner didn’t need meat to be filling because it was plenty hearty from the broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach.

Repeat appearance
JG declared, “Put it in the rotation!” and the recipe is now safely tucked away in one side of a clear plastic sleeve. This dish is easy and filling, and I packed up three lunch-sized portions after dinner. I’m glad to add it to the repertoire, and it’s a handy meatless option. In the future, I will retain the changes I made to the recipe, in addition to lightening up the sauce a bit by using equal portions of cream and milk. JG also requested that I chop the spinach more finely than I did last night, since I just ran my knife through it roughly. But don’t misinterpret my tinkering! This lemon fusilli is simple to make and really tasty, and I highly recommend it.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula
As seen on Barefoot Contessa

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons [I just used 2]
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds) [I used baby spinach]
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta.

Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.