Meatless Monday ... Pucker UP ... Lemons are on the menu!

Good Morning friends. Everyday is meatless in my home but on Monday’s I love to bring a meatless treat to one and all! Hope you give this one a try! This recipe contains one of my favorite ingredients…LEMONS! The combination of fresh lemons and preserved lemons creates a light and refreshing sauce. There are also many fun variations so use your creativity.

Now don’t fear, you are going to see that preserved lemons are needed. They are available in stores and also they are not difficult to make and they keep in the fridge tightly sealed for about 6 months (I have included my recipe for them under this one : ) Also, if you can not get preserved lemons and don’t have the time to make them, improvise by using more juice of a fresh lemon, it will still result in a yummy flavor.

Ingredients:

1 full preserved lemon (flesh only)

1/2 fresh lemon, the other half for garnish

3-4 roasted garlic heads (prepare ahead and have these roasted, cooled and ready (just take your garlic heads, slice off the tippy top so the little cloves are slightly exposed, put them on a large piece of aluminum foil, sprinkle with olive oil and salt, wrap tightly and roast in a 350 oven for about and hour.

1/2 bunch of scallions

6 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

salt

pepper

hot pepper optional

Pecorino Romano Cheese

good white wine (never use something that you would not drink)

1 lb linguini

boiling salted water

1/8 lb of pignoli (pine)nuts (in a small cast iron skillet, slight roast the nuts on medium heat for just about 1 minute, just enough to bring the flavor out of these precious nuts)

Lets begin. Grab you little food processor and squeeze the 3-4 roasted garlic heads into the container, take your preserved lemons and scrape out the center pulp and place it in the container and then slice the whites and a little bit of the scallion greens and place that in the container. 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil is added and then salt and pepper to taste. Now turn on the processor until the mixture becomes smooth (just like a pesto would). Remove the blade. In a cast iron skillet (or whatever you use) heat up 3 tablespoons of olive oil on a medium heat and now add all the contents of the container. Stir it for about 3-5 minutes until all the rawness is gone and the flavors are melded. Now add 3/4 – 1 cup of good white wine, and the juice of a 1/2 a lemon, bring to a slow boil and continue to whisk for another few minutes and the sauce thickens and the alcohol evaporates. Now add your butter and whisk that through to put a creamy finish to your sauce. Add some fresh scallion greens and you are done! This sauce is quick and easy and may I say yummy!

Take the linguini from the salted water pot and add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet with a low flame under it. Let the water drip into the sauce as you add it to the pan (you will need approximately 1/2 – 3/4 cup of pasta water) you can just let it drip in or you can drain the pasta and add it all at one time. Toss the linguini really well till all the strands of pasta are covered. Remember to keep tasting so you know when to add more salt and pepper. Now place all of the linguini piled on a serving platter, garnish with thinly slice scallions, lemons, grated cheese and lightly roasted pignoli (pine) nuts. Serve immediately. Let your family add hot pepper if they would like. Dig in and remember, serve it on a pretty plate!

Variation

Instead of using Pecorino Romano Cheese, use a nice soft goat cheese and thinly slice sun dried tomatoes. Toss the cheese and tomatoes in the pasta along with the scallions and the cheese will create a nice and creamy sauce that is delicious. You can even add some black olives for a more complex taste.

Just toss in grape tomatoes that have been roasted into the pasta and your favorite cheese for a burst of yummy flavor.

Give one a try and also, create your own! Also remember you can not harm this sauce by adding a bit more of any of the ingredients, everything to taste and you know what yours and your families is so go for it!

Now here is my recipe for Preserved Lemons…remember they keep for a long time in the fridge and they are a great additive to all kinds of food. These delicious bursts of flavor are used in Moroccan food all the time! Use them in your favorite savory delights…you are going to love them! They are also fabulous in salad dressings, stews, soups and my favorite, pasta sauces. Here’s a little preserved lemon history for your. You can get them here if you don’t feel like making them Lemons or try your specialty store!

Now you are going to need a few things

A tightly fitting jar (i prefer a screw top mason jar, it works perfectly and you know you have a good solid seal on it.) So sterilize it and get it ready to be filled with these beauties.

A glass baking dish

A sharp knife

Cutting Board

As many lemons as you would like to preserve (all washed up)

Kosher coarse salt

Water

The ratio is 1 level tablespoon of salt to each lemon, how easy is that.

Get out your cutting board and a nice sharp knife, cut your lemon in half and then section into three parts from each half, each lemon will give you six wonderful wedges. Cut as many lemons as you would like to preserve. Now place them in a glass baking dish (if you do not have glass, any baking dish will do, just do not use aluminum) After you put the lemons in the pan, sprinkle your Kosher salt all over them and then cover them with water. Place in a 250 degree oven and cook for 3-4 hours. When you take them out of the over the skins will be soft tender and the meat of the lemon when scooped will be like a thick puree. Let the lemons cool in the liquid. Once the lemons are cool, scoop the wedges into your mason jar. Once the lemons are in the jar you can pour ladle some of the liquid to cover them all and then seal the jar tight. Place in the fridge where they will keep for 6 months and they are now always ready to use.

Before the baking process