In case you missed it, we did our first Instagram Live today! James Beard award-winning chef and cookbook author Gabriel Rucker of Portland’s Le Pigeon and Little Bird joined our editorial director of food Sarah Carey in the test kitchen for a very special demo. Carey recently attended Le Pigeon's one-night-only collaboration dinner with New York institution Gramercy Tavern, and there was one dish Rucker made that she couldn’t get out of her head: spaghettini with creme fraiche, Meyer lemon, horseradish, and trout roe.
Rucker recreated it for us live today, and while the ingredients may sound fancy, the recipe couldn’t be simpler. It’s one of those rare weeknight pastas that only dirties a couple dishes but is elegant enough for company. It actually started as a special at Le Pigeon when Rucker found himself with a lot of extra trout roe on his hands (restaurant problems!). The combination of fresh ingredients and cooked elements results in a balanced dish that hits all the points on the palate. It’s just the thing to wake up your winter taste buds.
Spaghettini with Creme Fraiche, Meyer Lemon, Horseradish, and Trout Roe
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 cup creme fraiche
2 Meyer lemons
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
Kosher salt
1 pound spaghettini
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons trout roe, plus more for serving
4 ounces finely grated Parmesan
Finely grated fresh horseradish (from peeled horseradish root), to taste
Directions
1. In a large pan, stir together creme fraiche, juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon, prepared horseradish, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until reduced by about half.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain.
3. Toss hot pasta with creme fraiche mixture, dill, roe, Parmesan, a pinch of salt, and juice of half a Meyer lemon (reserve remaining half for another use). Add horseradish to taste. Serve immediately, topped with a spoonful of roe.