Lemon caper is in the same camp sun dried tomatoes. It had a real moment, maybe in the mid 90s? Then the inevitable backlash, when it turned embarrassingly basic, like a LEN CD. But I’m not here to steal your sunshine. Just like sundried tomatoes, lemon caper is a fabulous, timeless flavor combo that deserves to be celebrated. And they really shine in this pasta dish that also channels the umami magic of a creamy parmesan sauce.
Lemon Caper Spaghetti
Bright, creamy, and cozy—each bite of this luxuriously simple pasta is like burst of sunshine.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti or other thin pasta
- 2 oz grated parmesan
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 lemon
- 4-5 Tbsp capers
- breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook pasta in lots of well-salted water.
- While the pasta is cooking, dice the onion, juice the lemon, and grate the parmesan. You want the parmesan fine. A microplane works great. A the small-hole version of a box grater will also do the trick.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of good olive oil in a large skillet, something that will hold all of the pasta (a pot will also work). Add the onion with a couple pinches of salt and saute, stirring every minute or so to keep them from burning.
- When onions are translucent and just starting to brown, add capers, the lemon juice, and twist of pepper. Turn the heat to low and keep stirring regularly until the pasta is done.
- When the pasta is done, strain it but reserve a mug full of the cooking water.
- Grab a set of tongs or fork.
- Add the pasta into pan and toss it with the onions and capers.
- Mix in the grated parmesan and then add a couple splashes of the reserved cooking water. You want just enough to transform the parmesan into a creamy sauce, but not so much that it turns watery.
- Take pan off the heat and toss in the lemon zest, plus salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with warm breadcrumbs.
