An unusual, but extremely toothsome, pasta dish is Linguine With Roasted Garlic and Preserved Lemon. Using preserved lemons is not really an Italian tradition, more Middle Eastern. But Italians love pastas with lemon, and the preserved version gives a dish extra zip. It’s actually quite a simple meal to make if you have preserved lemons on hand. Many grocery stores sell preserved lemons in the Middle Eastern or South Asian food sections. You can also purchase them here. However, homemade preserved lemons are far superior to the store-bought variety, and they are easy to make. However, you will need to make them at least 2-3 weeks prior to preparing this dish, as it takes that much time to preserve them properly. Below, I give the recipe for preserving them.
To view my other unusual pasta dishes, click Pasta with Lentil Sauce, Baked Tomato Sauce, Rigatoni With Guancialie and Caramelized Onions, Fettucine With Pheasant Sauce, Linguine With Melon and Prosciutto, Pasta With Lentil Sauce, and Nonno’s Unique Italian Meat Sauce.
For the Preserved Lemons
Wash and cut 6 of the lemons in quarters lengthwise, but leave them attached at one end.
Cut the lemons in quarters.
Juice the remaining 5 or 6 lemons. You’ll need more than a cup of juice.
Place 1 tablespoon of the salt in the bottom of a quart jar. Rub the lemon quarters with salt. Whisk the remaining salt into the lemon juice until nearly dissolved.
Alternate placing the quartered lemons in the jar with some cardamom seeds, juniper berries, bay leaves, and lemon juice. (Only the bay leaves and lemon juice are essential. The rest, you can pick and choose.) When all ingredients have been placed in the jar, press down on the lemons to fit tightly, so they are covered with as much juice as possible.
Pack the lemons in a jar.
Tightly screw the lid on the jar.
Refrigerate the lemons for two to three weeks, shaking the jar vigorously every day. They will keep for months in the refrigerator.
For the Linguine With Roasted Garlic and Preserved Lemon
Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the top third off the garlic and discard. Drizzle the cut side of the garlic with a teaspoon or more of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in foil and place it in an ovenproof bowl to catch any drippings.
Cut off the top of the garlic head.
Roast the garlic in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour or more. Check after 50 minutes. The garlic should be very soft and golden brown.
The roasted garlic.
Remove the garlic, and let it cool enough to handle. Then squeeze the garlic pulp out of the skin. Mash it with a fork and set aside.
Mash the garlic.
In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add fresh breadcrumbs or panko, stirring constantly until the crumbs are nicely browned.
Toast the breadcrumbs.
Note that they will continue to cook a bit after removing them from the heat. Set aside.
Finely chop 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 of one preserved lemon, depending on how lemony you want your sauce to be. You’ll be using both the rind and the pulp.
1/2 preserved lemon.
Chop the lemon.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salting only lightly because the lemons will add saltiness to the dish. Cook the linguine just until al dente. When the pasta is nearly done, remove about 1⁄2 up of the starchy pasta water and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, combine 2 1⁄2 tablespoons of unsalted butter with 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, add the peperoncino (chili pepper flakes), the mashed roasted garlic, and the chopped preserved lemon.
Cook the garlic and lemon.
Cook for a couple minutes and keep it warm.
Drain the pasta and immediately toss it with the grated Parmigiano, the garlic-lemon sauce, and the chopped parsley.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and cheese.
Check the pasta for moistness. If it is dry, add a little of the preserved pasta water until you get a consistency you like. Season with black pepper.
Serve the Linguine With Roasted Garlic and Preserved Lemon immediately in bowls. Top the pasta with the toasted breadcrumbs, and pass a bowl of extra Parmigiano.
Serves 2.
