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Lemon Tomato Fettuccine with Herbs

in Recipes

Like so many among us, I have great affection for pasta dishes of all kinds. Who doesn’t love a delicious bowl of spaghetti? But among all the pasta dishes I’ve ever made, this one holds a special place on my recipe roster. I routinely break out this recipe when I’m having friends over for dinner – its simple elegance makes it a guaranteed crowd pleaser, with zero preparation stress.

One of the great things about this dish is that it just seems really fancy. Between the sliced garlic, the pretty flecks of green herbs, the perfectly sautéed little tomatoes, and the subtle heat from the red pepper flakes, it looks (and tastes) like you pulled out all the stops. BUT, great news – in reality, it’s really easy to make, and aside from the pot for the pasta, you only need one pan. (Yay!)

I started creating this recipe when I was in law school (it’s gone through numerous variations at this point), and I have many memories of long, leisurely dinners over glasses of wine, my friends and I snuggled up in my little living room with our pasta bowls while it snowed outside. (I went to law school in Indiana, so it snowed A LOT.) Ever since then, this dish has become a go-to for me whenever I’m in need of some comfort food.

Aside from its simplicity (and tastiness), one of the things I love most about this dish is that it works equally well in both summer and winter. The white wine cream sauce, splash of lemon, and herbs make it bright and fresh enough for summer, while the garlic, red pepper flakes, and mushrooms give it a spicy, earthy flavor that makes it hearty enough for winter.

 

Also, important side note: for those of you who saw the phrase “white wine cream sauce” and kind of went “eh… well THAT doesn’t sound terribly healthy,” let me reassure you – there is nothing thick or gloopy or heavy about the sauce at all. In fact, the term “sauce” is almost misleading, because it’s kind of more like a glaze, if you can imagine. A white wine cream glaze. Yum yum. Let’s do it.

Note: If you would like to be particularly health-conscious, feel free to substitute whole-wheat fettuccine for regular.

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Lemony Tomato Fettuccini with Herbs

Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Pasta and Mix-Ins

  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 3/4 box grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • Sprinkle of pepper
  • 3/4 box fettuccini

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup pasta water
  • 1 large lemon
  • Dash of salt
  • Dash of pepper

Herbs and Cheese

  • 1 cup fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup fresh tarragon (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano

Instructions

Prep

  1. Salt a pot of water and put it on to boil. Once the water boils, add the pasta and cook according to instructions. BEFORE DRAINING, reserve 1/2 a cup of the water the pasta cooked in.

  2. While the water is boiling/pasta is cooking, you can move on with the veggies. Rinse the mushrooms; leave in colander to drain. Rinse the tomatoes and slice in half; set aside. Slice garlic as thin as possible; set aside.

Cook Up the Veggies

  1. Add about a 1/4 cup of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat and let warm for a minute or two.

  2. Add sliced garlic and cook until fragrant and until the edges turn golden brown.

  3. Add mushrooms to the garlic and stir - you want to make sure that the garlic isn't just sitting in a layer on the bottom of the pan under the mushrooms, because it will start to burn.

  4. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper, along with the red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and let the mushrooms cook until the liquid is released and evaporated.

  5. Once the liquid has evaporated (I like to let the liquid evaporate, because then you start to get nice browned edges on the mushrooms), add the tomatoes and the white wine. Stir to make sure that all the veggies are coated in the wine, then spread in an even layer over the bottom of the pan and let cook until the tomatoes just begin to soften. You want to keep an eye on the pan during this step, because if the tomatoes cook too long, they lose their form and get mushy. The pasta will still taste just as good, it will just have more of a tomato sauce than tomato halves.

  6. Once the tomatoes begin to soften, remove the pan from heat. It's okay if there is still a decent amount of liquid in the bottom of the pan - you don't want it all gone. Transfer the mushroom mixture into a bowl and set aside. (Keep the pan, you'll need it for the sauce.)

Sauce

  1. Once the pasta is cooked, you can begin the sauce. First, drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Add the olive oil, the heavy cream, the zest of one lemon, and the juice of half a lemon to the pan you used for the veggies. Turn the heat on to medium-high and stir to combine.

  2. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with about half of the reserved pasta water. 

  3. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.

Mix It All Together

  1. Once the sauce is done cooking, shut off the heat. Add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and (carefully) toss to combine. Then get your bowl of veggies and add those to the mix.

  2. Leave things alone so the flavors can meld for a moment, and get your herbs. Wash, dry, and chop the basil, tarragon and parsley. Then, add the herbs, along with the grated cheese, to the pan. Reserve some of the herbs for topping.

  3. Toss everything together and serve. Top with additional cheese and herbs. 

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