When you think of pasta, tomato sauce pretty much comes first to mind, then maybe pesto. But you will be surprised to find out that lemons were originally served with pasta in Italy. That’s because tomatoes were introduced 1500 years after lemons! How about that!
Why tomatoes and lemons? They are both acidic so they balance the starch of the pasta.ย So next time you crave pasta and don’t have tomatoes or tomato sauce, reach for lemons instead and discover a new twist on the old classic!
There are different ways to incorporate lemons with pasta. You can use the juice, the zest with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
You can also make a cashew cream, then add lemon zest, capers and some of the brine.
It is super fast to make and tastes so fresh. And it really does cut the starch down.
Gluten-free pasta
We have come a long way when it come to gluten-free products! I have tried all kinds of gluten-free pasta. Some were made with cauliflower (Veggiecraft Farms), lentils (Public Goods), quinoa (Ancient Harvest), brown rice (Jovial), yellow peas (Zenb), and chickpeas (Banza). Surprisingly, they all did pretty good. Firm, with little or no after taste of the vegetable it was made with. They also come in all kinds of shapes. Just make sure to follow the cooking instructions on the box. One things about gluten-free pasta is that it should be eaten hot because it tends to harden and get a bit mealy when it cools down. If you have celiac and really want to find out about the best brands for different uses, read more.
We like to serve this pasta dish with braised greens cooked with a little garlic and olive oil.
Want more pasta recipes? Try our mediteranean zoodle pasta, or our roasted beet pasta and asparagus, or our wild mushroom stroganoff served on a bed of pasta.
Pasta with lemon caper sauce
Equipment
- zester
Ingredients
- 1 package gluten-free pasta
- 1 lemon zest
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
- 1.5 cup water
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp caper brine
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions with the turmeric powder.
Prepare the sauce
- Zest the lemon with a microplane grater (careful not to touch the grater with your fingers)
- Juice the lemon and remove all seeds. Set aside.
- Blend the raw cashews with water, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and salt,
- Add the lemon zest, juice, caper brine and olive oil.
Putting it together
- Drain the pasta.
- In a frying pan, pour the lemon cream sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- On medium heat, add the cooked pasta and stir the capers. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
