Lemon Gin Pasta
Zesty lemon and gin pasta, with capers and crispy breadcrumbs 🍋🌿🧀 Comforting yet bright, using Never Never Distilling Co's Triple Juniper Gin, which makes the other flavours in the dish shine whilst adding an extra hit of citrus and spice.
Ingredients
For the breadcrumbs:
- 50g extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 30g Parmesan, finely grated
For the pasta:
- 400g dry pasta (I like spaghetti but take your pick, most pastas would work)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 anchovies
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 130g capers
- 2 tbsp Triple Juniper Gin
- 3 lengths lemon zest (use a peeler to strip them off)
- 200ml cream
- 100ml fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons, depending on their size)
- ½ bunch basil, leaves picked
Serves 3-4
Method
- First make your breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and toss through panko, stirring often, until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and stir through lemon zest and Parmesan, season with salt flakes and set aside.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add anchovies, shallots, garlic, chilli flakes and capers and sizzle until anchovies have melted down and the rest is beginning to brown.
- Add gin and lemon zest and simmer until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
- Stir in cream and lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat.
- Add pasta into the sauce, loosening with some pasta water until it reaches a silky smooth consistency.
- Taste and season, stir through basil and serve.
To make a perfect martini to accompany, stir 50mL Never Never Triple Juniper with 25mL dry vermouth in a mixing glass with loads of ice, strain into a frozen coupe. Garnish with a green olive.