I've been very intrigued by Moroccan foods lately because I really want to go there and am really not going there in the next year or so because I need to save up the time and the money to earmark for it. So I'm trying out various flavors from there until I can go there. Which brings me to preserved lemons.
On February 13 I made preserved lemons, but I got impatient and bought some from World Market the next day. I posted the photo of the purchased lemons on Instagram and my friend Tracie posted an excellent meal suggestion so I set out to make a version of it, with the addition of spinach because I needed to use some.
This pasta is probably not Moroccan at all but it is something wildly different, which I like. Plus it gives me another way to use these other than tagines, which I'll be posting about soon.
I'm also excited because my preserved lemons are ready now too so this is on the menu again for this week.
Preserved Lemon and Garlic Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pappardelle pasta reserve 1-2 tablespoons of pasta water
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- One half of a preserved lemon diced and 1-2 tablespoons of the salt-lemon mixture from the jar
- 1 large handful of spinach
- Juice from one non-preserved lemon
- Ground black peppercorns to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Cook the pappardelle until al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat.
- Add the diced garlic and saute until garlic is brown.
- Add the reserved pasta water and stir well to combine.
- Place the cooked pasta and preserved lemon and lemon-salt mixture and heat through for another minute, stirring well.
- Add the spinach and turn off the heat. Let the spinach wilt slightly, stirring into the pasta.
- Remove the pan from heat, and squeeze lemon juice over pasta to taste, and sprinkle in red pepper flakes if using.
- To serve, divide between plates and pour any pan liquid over the pasta.
Notes
