Lemon Fusilli
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 lemons divided
- 2 cups (16 oz.) heavy whipping cream
- 3/4-1 lb. fusilli pasta
- 1/2 lb. baby arugula
- 1/2 cup plus more for serving Parmesan Reggiano, grated
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- In a large skillet or cast iron braiser, heat olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and sauté about one minute until fragrant. Add in the heavy cream. Add in the juice of 2 lemons, the zest off 2 lemons, 2 tsp. of salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Bring to a light boil and then reduce to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will begin to thicken.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, firm with a little bite. Directly from the pot add the pasta into the cream sauce using a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer. Allow the pasta to mix in with the sauce.
- Over low heat, add the arugula, tomatoes, parmesan, and baby arugla, and the third lemon cut up into slices. Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve from the skillet or in a large pasta serving bowl and have extra parmesan on the side for serving.
Notes
Katie's Tips:
*Cook pasta one minute below suggestion on the box and then taste. There is nothing worse than mushy pasta and it will continue to cook a little in the cream sauce.
*This dish makes delicious next day leftovers. Heat up in the microwave about one minute.
*I typically use 3/4 lb. pasta instead of the whole box because I like the pasta to be coated in enough sauce. You can certainly use the whole pound. I cook the whole pound and reserve the extra to mix with butter for my picky eaters in the family.
*When you transfer the cooked pasta into the sauce, a little bit of he pasta water will mix in. This is intentional because the starchy water will help thicken the sauce even more.
*This dish is adapted from Ina Garten. Here is the food network link.