The Sauce Fiend Chronicles: Spaghetti al Limone

Spaghetti al Limone

The first time I made Spaghetti al Limone was during my undergrad.  I was living with four other girls and, being me, went into cooking and cleaning fits whenever the stresses of academia were mounting. 

I like to think of it as productive procrastination…

My roommates, each of whom were much more involved in sports and such than I have ever been, would often come home to three dozen cookies, a cake or two, litres of tomato sauce cooling on the counter, and a chicken roasting away in the oven.  Their first instinct was always glee at not having to slog through the kitchen after a big practice whipping up their own meal.  Their second was to make sure I was ok…  I mean, not everyone deals with seemingly insurmountable deadlines by doing chores…

During one such time, I was going through a bit of a lemon phase.  The dreary long nights at the end of the Fall semester had me craving sunshine so lemons were everywhere.  Seriously.  I put those bad boys in chicken, tall pitchers of lemonade, squeezed and zested into teatime treats, and literally anything else I could think of that needed a little kick of summer.

That is what led me to discover the wonder that is Spaghetti al Limone. 

It’s so easy and delicious and, in my mind, you can never make it lemony enough!  Now, upon taste testing my first go at this classic Italian dish, one of my roommates did scrunch up her face and promptly put her fork down.

“It tastes like Skittles…”

Well, you can’t win them all.  And yes, I might have added a *tinge* too much lemon for some palates but, come on!  Lemon!  It’s the best!

Since then, I’ve toned down the lemony kick and balanced it with the perfect amount of smoky extra virgin olive oil, nutty Parmesan cheese, fresh leafy parsley, and salty little capers.  It has become a staple in my “oh-man-we-have-nothing-to-eat-what-should-I-make-for-dinner” repertoire and I hope it will become that for you too!

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Spaghetti al Limone

Serves 2 (with some leftovers, if you’re not too hungry at dinner)

250g dry spaghetti
1 tablespoon lemon zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 2 lemons
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon dry chilli flakes
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente.

Meanwhile, whip up the sauce by combining the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, chilli flakes, capers, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper in a small bowl.

When the spaghetti is cooked to al dente, scoop out and reserve about a half-cup of the cooking liquid and drain well.  Pour the pasta back into the pot and stir the sauce through, making sure that each noodle is well coated.  If needed, add a splash or two of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce up a bit.

Now, crown with a sprinkling of some fresh pepper and freshly grated Parmesan and dig into summer!

Doughn't go breaking my heart: Fresh Pasta Dough

Fresh Pasta Dough in the making
Note: you might want to take any rings off... mine are currently full of flour and egg...

Like bread, making homemade pasta brings me back to rainy days stuck inside the cottage playing with the one thing my mom has always been an expert at making: homemade Play-Doh.  Somehow, when occasion would strike and we’d be stuck inside with a summers’ day worth of energy, she would turn a couple of packets of Kool Aid into this amazing smelling, brightly coloured dough that we could spend hours and hours playing with.

I, always being rather kitchen-inclined, would knead the dough and shape it into any sweet treat I could dream up while my brother sat next to me mashing every colour together until he was left with a big muddy looking mass…  We’re different, my brother and I, but there are a few very strong similarities that we do possess.  A doofy laugh, some cocktail knowledge, lanky limbs, and an undying love of pasta.

I, always being rather kitchen-inclined, would knead the dough and shape it into any sweet treat I could dream up while my brother sat next to me mashing every colour together until he was left with a big muddy looking mass…  We’re different, my brother and I, but there are a few very strong similarities that we do possess: a doofy laugh; ample cocktail knowledge; lanky limbs; and an undying love of pasta.

Making homemade noodles might seem a bit daunting and, yes, it is a bit more of an undertaking than tearing open a box of dry rotini on a Tuesday night but it is oh so worth the effort.  I've scaled this recipe to serve two as I find it's perfect for a date night meal but feel free to multiply the recipe to serve more.

If you can't find '00' flour in your grocery store, all purpose will work just fine.  The two flours have similar protein/gluten levels (between ~10-12%) and are therefore pretty interchangeable when used for fresh pasta.  The main difference between the two is that '00' has been more finely milled thus resulting in a slightly better texture.

Now, don’t be daunted by the length of the method below.  In addition to detailing a method using good old-fashioned elbow grease, I've also included a couple of different tactics for making the dough using a little help from some handy dandy kitchen equipment. 

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be posting some of my favourite sauces, fillings, and pasta shapes so stay tuned!  In the meantime, give this a whirl, roll it out thin either by hand or with a pasta roller, and cut into long, thin noodles – it’ll be perfect draped with carbonara or my favourite tomato sauce.

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Fresh Pasta Dough

Serves 2

1 cup + 2 tablespoons ‘00’ or all purpose flour, plus a bit more for kneading
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp olive oil

Dump the flour onto a large work surface and sprinkle with salt.  Using you hands, gently mix the salt through and create a well in the centre of the mound.  Crack the eggs into the well, being careful not to let them spill out over the edge.  Add the oil and, using a fork or the tips of your fingers, beat the eggs and oil together and begin to incorporate the flour by pulling it in from the inner wall of the well. 

Once the mixture becomes a bit shaggy and tricky to work with, start using your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive ball.  At this point, set the ball of dough aside and discard any scraggly dry bits and flour that is left over.  I typically have about 1 – 2 tablespoons of refuse at this point so don’t feel the need to try to incorporate everything. 

Bring the ball of dough back over to your work surface and continue kneading for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the dough is elastic and smooth, adding a dusting of flour when necessary.  Wrap the dough in some plastic wrap and set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, cutting, shaping, drying slightly, and cooking.

If you’re looking for a bit of a tidier method, feel free to use your stand mixer or a food processor. 

For the stand mixer approach, combine the flour and salt in the bowl of your mixer and create a well.  Crack the eggs into the well and add the olive oil.  Using a fork, whisk the eggs and oil together and incorporate the flour until a shaggy dough forms.  Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment and knead on low for about 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.  As with above, if a few tablespoons of flour are left in the bottom of the bowl, no worries!  Cover the dough with plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before using.

For the food processor approach, toss the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.  Crack the eggs into a glass measuring cup, add the oil, and give it a whisk.  With the mixer running, slowly pour the egg mixture through the chute and blitz until it all comes together into a smooth dough.  Remove the dough from the processor, leave any scraggly bits behind, and give it a bit of a knead for about 4 or 5 minutes, adding flour when necessary.  As with above, allow the dough to rest covered in plastic for 30 minutes prior to using.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti: A cookie so nice, they baked it twice

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

When I was about 14 years old, I went through a serious biscotti craze.  While other girls my age were starting to get into normal early-teen things like makeup, hair straighteners, and school dances, I was elbow deep in biscotti dough, forming little loafs, baking, slicing, and baking again.  Biscotti are just a little bit more involved than a traditional drop cookie like chocolate chip or oatmeal but they are oh-so totally worth it.  

By twice-baking these delectable little Italian cookies, they become a little crunchy and crumbly making them perfect for dunking into a cup of coffee or tea.  Another bonus?  The double bake allows them to stay fresh in your cupboard for up to a month though I’ve never had a batch last that long!

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Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Makes around 30 biscotti

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 ¼ cup All Purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup dried cranberries
¾ cup whole almonds, unsalted
1 cup white chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition followed by the vanilla and almond extracts. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt then fold in the dried cranberries and almonds.  Don’t worry about sifting your dry ingredients – these lovely little cookies have a great bite to them and are much more hearty than sifted things like cake.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir just until combined.  Set the bowl in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350F and line one large or two small cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Once the dough has chilled, divide it in half and form each into approximately a 3x8” rectangle on your parchment lined sheet.  Be sure to leave at least 5 inches of space between your two biscotti loaves as they will rise and spread in the oven.  Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown and slightly set.

Remove your biscotti from the oven and allow it to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes.  Lower your oven to 325F and slice each biscotti loaf into around 15 cookies.  I like to do mine on a bit of an angle – it gives you longer biscotti and a nicer looking cookie.  Place the biscotti cut side down back onto your baking sheet and back for 15 minutes.  Flip the cookies over and bake for an additional 5 minutes.  This flip is not totally necessary but it does give your biscotti a more even colour and texture.

Remove your biscotti from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack while you melt your white chocolate in the microwave.  Once the biscotti are cool, dunk or drizzle each cookie with the white chocolate and allow it to set up on a piece of parchment before digging in!

It’s a-BAO-t time! Quick and easy steamed buns

Clamshell Steamed Buns stuffed with sesame tofu, quick picked carrots, cucumber, and cilantro

It’s no secret that bread is my all time favourite food.  The only things that could possibly come close to that doughy love fest are butter, cheese, and salt and, let’s be honest, all of those things are just made better with the addition of a big old hunk of freshly baked bread. 

From watching the yeast wake up from its long slumber and kneading it into a big mound of powdery flour to digging into fresh and lofty loaves, my love affair with bread is totally and completely consuming.

Now, I can’t argue with the fact that a perfect golden brown crispy crust is a thing of pure beauty.  Whenever I pull a loaf from the oven or am out and about shopping for my starchy love, I can’t help but think of that scene in Ratatouille where Colette is trying to teach Linguini (and, in turn, Remy) about good bread:

How can you tell how good bread is without tasting it?  Not the smell, not the look, but the sound of the crust.  Listen… Oh, a symphony of crackle!

But what about bread that has never seen the heat of an oven?  When does it get it’s due? 

Enter the wondrous culinary invention that is the steamed bun!

No, it does not have a crispy golden crust but, boy oh boy, do I ever love me some steamed buns!  Not only is my recipe for steamed bun dough super simple, it cooks up in around 10 minutes so you can be digging in to some excellent eats in no time flat!  Another bonus?  These steamed buns (or bao) can be totally customized through shaping and stuffing so feel free to let your imagination run wild!

If you're looking for a little bit of help when it comes to shaping clamshells or stuffed bao, check out this segment I did with my gal Veronica Cham on Your Morning!

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Steamed Bun Dough

Makes 24 - 30 buns

1 cup + 2 tablespoons very warm water
1 tablespoon instant active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons dry milk powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening or lard, room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, if making clamshell shaped buns

In glass measuring cup, combine the warm water and yeast and give it a bit of a stir.  Set this mixture aside for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to develop.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, dry milk powder, and baking powder and make a well in the middle.  Once the yeast is nice and foamy, pour the mixture into the well, add in the shortening, and mix to combine.  Knead the dough on low for 8 – 10 minutes if using a stand mixer, or by hand for 10 – 12 minutes.  After kneading, the dough should gather into a ball and be soft but not sticky.

Lightly grease a large, clean mixing bowl with cooking spray and transfer the ball of dough into the bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area for 1 ½ hours or until the dough had doubled in size.

When risen, punch the dough down and divide into 2 equal pieces. 

Now is the time to decide on the shape you’d like your steamed buns to be!  If you would like clamshell shaped buns, roll each piece of dough into a 4-5 inch-long oval with a rolling pin.  Lightly brush the ovals with vegetable oil, lay a chopstick horizontally across the narrow centre of the oval, and fold over onto itself to form a kind of taco shape.  Gently pull the chopstick out, place each bun on a small piece of parchment paper, and allow the buns to rise on a baking sheet, covered in plastic wrap, for 20 - 30 minutes.

If you are looking for a classic bun shape, just roll the pieces into tightly skinned little rounds, place on small squares of parchment paper (about 3” square), and allow the buns to rise on a baking sheet, covered in plastic wrap, for 20 - 30 minutes.  

If you want to fill your bao, flatten balls of dough into circles that are a little thicker in the middle, fill, and crimp.  Check out this video for a little demo of stuffing bao!

Set up your steamer and, working in batches to avoid crowding, steam the classic round buns for 13-15 minutes or clamshell buns for 10 minutes.  Serve warm with anything your heart desires!

If you have any extra buns, they are great stored and served at room temperature, reheated in a steamer, or can be frozen in a tightly sealed zip top bag for up to two months.