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Spaghetti with Roasted Lemon and Scampi

17/11/2023

Spaghetti with roasted lemon and scampi is a dish that combines the freshness of citrus with the delicacy of scampi, offering a rich and refined taste experience. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

  • 320 grams of spaghetti
  • 300 grams of fresh or frozen scampi
  • 1 large untreated lemon
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Fresh parsley to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Chili pepper (optional)
  • Dry white wine, one glass

Preparation

  1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 200 °C (if you have a grill function, that’s even better).
  2. Wash the lemon, cut it into thin slices and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake until they are slightly caramelized, being careful not to burn them. This could take about 10-15 minutes depending on the oven.
  3. In the meantime, clean the scampi by removing the head, shell, and intestinal tract.
  4. Bring a pot of salted water to boil for the spaghetti.
  5. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil with the peeled garlic cloves and let them brown. If you wish for a bit of spiciness, you can add chili pepper at this point.
  6. Add the scampi to the pan and briefly sauté them. Deglaze with the dry white wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate on high heat.
  7. When the lemon is ready, remove the garlic from the pan and add the roasted lemon slices to the scampi.
  8. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water following the package instructions for al dente cooking.
  9. Drain the spaghetti keeping some of the cooking water and transfer them to the pan with the scampi and lemon.
  10. Add freshly chopped parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and toss everything together with a bit of the spaghetti cooking water to bind the sauce to the pasta.
  11. Serve hot, with an additional sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired.

Curiosity

Roasted lemon is not very common in Italy with pasta, but its use in this recipe brings a surprisingly sweet and complex taste, balancing the flavor of the seafood.

To accompany these spaghetti, you might opt for a slightly aromatic white wine, such as a Vermentino or a Greco di Tufo, which with their citrus notes will perfectly complete the dish. Enjoy your meal!