How To Entertain This June, With Alexandra Dudley
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I'm hopeful summer is on the way, so I’m channeling the zesty romance of the Amalfi coast this month with a menu that celebrates lemons: cream lemony linguine for the table alongside a simple courgette, lemon and dill side salad spiked with lots of parmesan. I find ice cream or sorbet is sometimes the best pudding when everyone craves something cool. Dinner finishes with a classic Italian cocktail that blends lemon sorbet with vodka and champagne. It is the perfect palate cleanser, easy to throw together and, most importantly, delicious.
A good chardonnay is perfect with this pasta and I have been enjoying this one from PepperBox. It has a ripe fruitiness and buttery finish that sits beautifully against the zestiness of the linguine.
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Courgette, Dill & Parmesan Salad
This is a brilliant dish when you need a good side in a hurry – it can be made in five minutes. Be generous with the cheese as it is the best bit. If you’re not a dill fan, some finely chopped parsley will do.
Finely slice the courgettes using a knife or mandolin and place in a bowl.
Add the lemon zest and juice, a few generous glugs of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Tear in the dill and use a vegetable peeler to peel in large shavings of the cheese.
Toss everything together, then shave over more cheese.
Creamy Lemon Linguine
Creamy and lemony, this pasta dish comes together in no time. Add more of the pasta water than you think as the sauce will thicken as it cools slightly. I like to serve this from the pot at the table.
Cook the linguine one minute less than the packet instructions suggests in well-salted water. Switch off the heat as you cook the sauce.
Heat a good glug of olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep frying pan. Add the garlic and cook gently for a couple of minutes until it has slightly softened and begins to smell fragrant. Take care not to let it brown.
Add the cream and reduce the heat, stirring to combine. Allow the cream to come to a gentle simmer and cook for roughly 2 minutes.
Add the parmesan in three stages, whisking it in each time and adding a little of the cooking water if it begins to curdle. Don’t worry if it looks lumpy in stages, the starchy water will help to loosen it up.
Season well with salt and cracked black pepper then add the lemon juice and stir again.
Tong in the cooked linguine and allow everything to bubble away for a few minutes, tossing the pasta using tongs to ensure it is coated.
Serve from the bowl at the table or tong into serving bowls. Finish with more grated parmesan and fresh lemon zest.
Sgroppino
This is a delicious classic Italian cocktail that doubles up as a very good palate cleanser and pudding at the end of a dinner party. Go for good lemon sorbet if you can – it makes all the difference.
Place the sorbet in a champagne flute or deep wine glass.
Top with a splash of vodka and give it a stir to blend in the sorbet.
Top with champagne and serve.
For more from Alexandra, follow her @AlexandraDudley or visit AlexandraDudley.com
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