Ingredients
Pasta
- 10.6 ounces dry spaghetti 300 g
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 42 g, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan 50 g, using weight for accuracy
- 15–30 g finely grated frozen lemon from one washed, dried, thin-skinned whole lemon frozen overnight; avoid seeds and stem
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 0.5 g
- 1 g table salt about a scant 1/4 teaspoon, plus optional extra to taste
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water 240 ml reserved; begin with 60 ml and add only as needed
Equipment
- 1 freezer-safe container
- 1 large pasta pot
- 1 fine rasp grater
- 1 Tongs
- 1 heatproof measuring cup
- 1 Kitchen scale
Instructions
Method
- The night before, rub the lemon under plain running water, dry it and freeze it in a freezer-safe container until solid, about 8 hours or overnight. Do not use soap on produce.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to its package until al dente. For the nutrition baseline, use unsalted cooking water. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup (240 ml) of the starchy water.
- While the pasta cooks, finely grate the frozen lemon into a bowl, keeping your fingers clear and removing exposed seeds. Measure 15 g to start and reserve up to another 15 g for adjustment. Stop before the remaining fruit is difficult to hold.
- Return the hot drained spaghetti to the warm pot with the butter and 1/4 cup (60 ml) pasta water. Take the pot off the heat and toss until the butter melts.
- Add the first 15 g lemon shavings, pepper and measured salt. Sprinkle in Parmesan gradually while tossing. Add reserved water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce lightly coats the strands.
- Taste and add some or all of the reserved lemon only if wanted. Serve immediately. Return unused frozen lemon promptly to its freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving (1/4 batch)Calories: 409kcalCarbohydrates: 58.7gProtein: 13.5gFat: 13.2gSaturated Fat: 7.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.5gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 205mgFiber: 2.8gSugar: 2.2gCalcium: 130mgIron: 2.6mg
Notes
Total time includes an 8-hour freeze; once the lemon is frozen, allow about 25 minutes. Contains wheat and milk. Nutrition estimates one-quarter of 300 g dry enriched pasta, 42 g unsalted butter, 50 g grated Parmesan, 0.5 g pepper, 1 g salt and 30 g grated lemon, modeled as 22 g flesh plus 8 g peel using USDA SR Legacy data. The real peel-to-flesh ratio and amount used vary; extra cooking-water salt and toppings are excluded. Trans fat has incomplete ingredient data; cooking-sensitive vitamins are omitted. Refrigerate promptly for three to four days and reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
