This is the pasta recipe I wish I had shared with you a year ago. Back then it was just easier to continue writing about hyper-seasonal dishes and to deny the news and the shock I didn’t want to feel.
It was last spring when I first started this column — around the same time everyone was clamoring for pantry staples like dried pasta, yeast, flour (and toilet paper). Those were signs the world was a way more uncertain place than we thought, and we needed some extra comfort.
A year later, despite feeling much more optimistic, I still want a little comfort. So here I am with just that: a super rich plate of buttery, creamy noodles.
I’m just going to say it; I love butter and I love cream. But rich foods need a contrast to make me feel invigorated and not just wanting to stay on the couch all day — as I did so much last spring. Sometimes that means a vinegary salad or a zippy wine served alongside, but in the case of this recipe it’s chopped whole Meyer lemon added right in the pasta.
Now this isn’t the first time I’ve come at you (and won’t be the last) with a gospel of using a whole lemon in your cooking. For New Year’s, I added it in my souffle recipe. It lifted (figuratively) that dish, which had fats like cheese and butter, too.
In California, we’re lucky to have Meyer lemons widely available right now. If you’re not familiar, they are like the child of a lemon and a mandarin orange. They are extremely fragrant, juicy and slightly less acidic compared to regular lemons. Since they are not really tart, they can be eaten whole as well. I chop the whole lemon into small pieces, folding them into the buttery, creamy sauce spreading sweet, fresh, lemony, bites all the way through.
Now I understand that I just went on for a while about Meyer lemons, but truly, seek them out. If you can’t find them, a regular lemon will work here too — it will be an even brighter, more tart version and still delicious.
Beyond the bright promise of lemon, the sound of a “butter” “cream,” “pasta” and “chicken” dish will probably conjure up visions of pasta alfredo made with sauce from a jar. I’m not sure who to blame for that — “Big Sauce” or a certain olive-theme restaurant?
This pasta is not like that. It looks and tastes like it’s made from scratch because it is! First, I cut skinless, boneless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make thinner cutlets. Then those cutlets are gently poached in a salted butter broth that creates a base for the sauce. Instead of just chopping the chicken, I shred it into smaller strands that hug the linguine and make it all feel ragu-like — and in under 20 minutes.
That buttery broth eventually relies on more butter, cream and all that shredded chicken to give the linguine enough sauce to pool yet cloak without being too heavy or thick. The Meyer lemon is added last so it stays extremely bright, like a lemon should be.
Maybe this pasta was a year late or maybe it’s just on time? I wonder what I’ll say next year.
Christian Reynoso is a chef, recipe developer and writer. Originally from Sonoma, he lives in San Francisco. Email: food@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @christianreynoso Twitter: @xtianreynoso
Buttery Meyer Lemon-Chicken Pasta
Serves 4
A super rich yet extremely bright pasta for whenever you need a touch of comfort and see a Meyer lemon at the market. Make sure to save the pasta water once the linguine is done cooking — you’ll most likely want to add some back to your pasta for extra sauce.
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
1¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
12 ounces linguine
1 large Meyer lemon, about 4-5 ounces (regular lemon is OK to substitute)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream
Instructions: Heat a large, high-sided saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the butter, ½ cup water and 2 teaspoons salt. Once butter is melted, help dissolve the salt by whisking and froth up the butter in the water. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have thin cutlets. Add cutlets to the butter broth. Cover with a lid and simmer the bottom side of the chicken for 4 minutes, flip the breasts and simmer until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes total. Turn off heat. Transfer chicken to a plate, let cool and shred into small string-like pieces (the thinner and smaller the better for maximum chicken-to-pasta ratio).
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water (salted like the sea!) and prepare the lemon. Cut the lemon into thin rings, discard any seeds and finely chop the lemon into pea-size pieces or smaller. Set aside.
Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, season the chicken with as much freshly ground pepper as you like (I like a lot, about 2 teaspoons and coarsely ground).
When the linguine is about 3 minutes from being done, add the heavy cream to the butter broth and turn the heat to medium. Once simmering, add the chopped lemon and shredded chicken to the butter broth. Add the cooked linguine to the sauce, with tongs; toss to coat and keep heating until the sauce is cloaking the noodles and pooling at the bottom. If you want more sauce, simply add a small amount of pasta cooking water, toss and add more as needed.
Season the pasta with more salt and serve in bowls or plates with more freshly ground back pepper.
April 16, 2021 at 06:03PM
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This creamy pasta adds a whole chopped Meyer lemon for a burst of spring - San Francisco Chronicle
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