Spaghetti al Limone with smoked salmon

I have been cooking so much Mexican and South Indian, I thought I was cheating on my love for pasta! So whipped up a quick al Limone, pretty perfect for summer. Al Limone is as classically Italian as Agio e Olio. But this was my first time cooking it. The dance is super simple. Long pasta, something you would pair with an aglio e olio – I used spaghetti. But linguine, capellini and fettuccine would work well as well. (Read the simplest pasta and sauce pairing guide here) Lemon juice, lime zest, garlic, freshly crushed black pepper, and cream cheese! I made this dish with smoked salmon and broccoli, but you can totally do it without them as well.

I absolutely love cooking pasta! Read 5 different types of pasta you need to cook with.
Cook a crazy cauliflower alfredo or a refreshing hummus ziti.

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Ingredients for Spaghetti al Limone (Serves 4)

• Spaghetti – 4 ounces
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Lemon zest – 1 tsp
• Cream cheese – 1/2 cup
• Broccoli – 1 cup (optional)
• Smoked salmon, cut – 1 cup (I used Prasuma‘s absolutely amazing produce)
• Garlic, chopped – 4 cloves
• Butter – 2 tbsp
• Freshly crushed black pepper – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Dried herbs – to garnish

Method

• In a large pot, cook the pasta till al dente as per the instructions on the packet. Drain and reserve 1-1/2 cups pasta water.
• Steam the broccoli in the microwave for 2 minutes with a splash of water. Drain.
• Melt butter in a pan, add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta water and bring to a boil. We are using butter instead of olive oil in this recipe to help form the slight sauce.
• Add the cream cheese and lemon juice, mix well and reduce for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well on low heat.
• Season with salt, pepper, and lime zest and mix well.
• Mix in the smoked salmon at the very end, and give the pasta a good toss.

Buon Appetito!