lemons, linguine & vodka

linguine in a light lemon vodka sauce

this is almost the same as a 'fettucine alfredo' but has vodka in the sauce and the sour edge of lemon juice and zest. it also uses half & half cream, which is lighter than coffee cream; it is a mixture of cream and whole milk. it can be bought in the supermarket or made yourself by mixing equal amounts of [coffee] cream and whole milk together.

the recipe calls for linguine but you can use fettucine or any pasta you want, really. my favourite for this dish is a spaghetti like one that is shaped like drinking straws. this pasta has a hole in the middle and is perfect for making sure you get that sauce both inside and out. it is called mezza zita in italian.

this dish is very, very good and much lighter calorically. it really is something to be tried and be enjoyed, guilt-free. this is a nice choice for new year's day eve. oh yeah, i forgot i promised this year to cut down on the fattening stuff .... (sigh).

buon appetito!

makes 2 healthy servings, 4 if you're on a dieting kick!

ingredients:

1/2 lb linguine

1/2 c. "half and half" cream (light cream)
1/4 c. vodka
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
pinch of grated nutmeg (opt)

1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp pasta water

1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 tbsp chopped parsely

freshly ground black pepper

method:

cook linguine [8 to 10 min] and reserve 2 tbsp of the water.

in a saucepan, heat cream, vodka, zest and nutmeg over low heat until warmed. season with salt and pepper

add lemon juice, pasta water and sauce to linguine in a large bowl.

add the parmesan and parsley. adjust the salt and pepper and serve with extra parmesan to garnish.

enjoy!