A Lucky Pasta

Life gives us every opportunity to ponder that classic question, "What's for dinner?" Or lunch, or breakfast, brunch, tea time, the cocktail hour, let's not get caught up in preciseness here, the point is, what do I stir up for a certain special occasion?

Jeanne has a guest coming over from about 8 states away. This is her story to tell, so I won't wander off about his longtime New Yorker background (though he now lives in the West) or his love affair with coffee and Italian food. I'll simply suggest that coming soon, she'll have many chances to whip up something delicious. Jeanne, my tip for you is: Try the Danny's Lemon Pasta.

You'll find it in Ruth Reichl's second book, "Comfort Me With Apples," (Random House, 2001). I mentioned earlier that I'm in a Reichl state of mind, and the reason appears to be as M.F.K. Fisher (another brilliant star in the culinary firmament) described in her work "With Bold Knife and Fork" (Smithmark, 1968) - simply, that recipes that are "Tried and True" are the ones you turn to again and again.

I've tasted my share of succulent mysteries over the years, from "Mountain Oysters" (a misleading sobriquet if there ever was one) to fire ant eggs and maguey worms (and that was at Four Seasons). When you find a recipe what works for you, stick and stay with it. (Any dish that catches fire by itself is automatically ruled out.)

I'm trying hard not to gush here but Reichl has that wonderful sense of the kinds of dishes we're all looking for: good taste, accessible ingredients, easy prep, results that deliver on the promise. We can't all stop what we're doing and waltz into Le Cordon Bleu for a brushup on skills. What I love about Reichl's work is, she knows who we are, and what we love. She knows, and she points us where we need to go.

The Danny's Lemon Pasta is a Reichl derivation based on a dish she enjoyed at actor Danny Kaye's house. Read the book for a great description of that adventure; she always seems to be having them (and how I envy her that). The beauty of this pasta dish? It's not only delectable, it happens fast.

Danny's Lemon Pasta

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound fresh egg fettuccine
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a deep, heavy 12-inch skillet and stir in the cream and lemon juice. Remove the skillet from the heat and keep it warm and covered.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a colander. Add the pasta to the skillet with the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the pasta cooking liquid and toss well. (Add more pasta cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary, to thin the sauce.)

Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4.

(Reprinted with permission by Ruth Reichl)

Jeanne, consider adding a few chopped kalamata olives, whose flavor plays well with the lemon essence, and a chiffonade of fresh basil to the top of the pasta. Bon chance! I know you'll love this dish.