FROZEN LEMON LINGUINI

I recently saw someone grate a frozen lemon over hot pasta and was intrigued by just how simple it was. Freezing the lemon allows you to grate the rind, pith and flesh together, giving the pasta a wonderfully fresh, vibrant lemon flavour. With Parmesan, good olive oil and a little pasta water, it becomes a silky, surprisingly delicious sauce.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus freezing
Cooking time: 10–12 minutes
Skill: Easy

Ingredients

1 unwaxed lemon, frozen until completely solid
400 g linguine
80–100 g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Freeze the whole lemon until completely solid, preferably overnight.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Add the linguine and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.

Before draining, reserve about 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

Place the hot drained pasta in a large warmed bowl. Season with a little salt and plenty of cracked black pepper.

Using a fine grater, grate some of the frozen lemon directly over the hot pasta. You are using the whole lemon — rind, pith and flesh (freeze what is left over for another time).  The intensity will vary from lemon to lemon, so start with a little, toss and taste before adding more.

Add the Parmesan and enough reserved pasta water to loosen everything. Toss vigorously until the cheese, lemon and pasta water come together to form a silky sauce that coats the linguine. Add more pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, if needed.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more frozen lemon if you want a brighter, sharper flavour. Finish with more Parmesan, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a generous crack of black pepper.