Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta

 

1pound spaghetti or linguine

3 small Meyer lemons (about 8 ounces total), see Tip

3 T. unsalted butter

6 large garlic cloves, sliced thinly

1tsp. fennel seeds, coarsely ground

1¼C. heavy cream

½ C. lightly packed dill leaves and tender stems, very coarsely chopped

Black pepper, for serving

 

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (about 2 T. kosher salt to about 6 quarts water) to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, occasionally stirring, until al dente. Reserve 1 C. of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. Meanwhile, trim the tops and bottoms off two of the Meyer lemons and slice into ¼-inch discs, discard any seeds, then very roughly chop into small pebbly pieces. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, season with salt and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped lemon pieces and ground fennel seeds, season again with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until very soft, but not mushy 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the cream, turn up the heat to medium, bring to a simmer, then add the cooked pasta and toss to coat with tongs. Add about ½ C. pasta liquid, toss again and cook, tossing often, until the sauce thickens but still pools a little at the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. If more sauce is desired, add a little more pasta liquid, toss again and continue cooking until the desired sauciness is reached. Turn off heat, season with salt and stir in dill (reserving some for serving on top). Serve the pasta while hot, sprinkled with reserved dill, freshly ground black pepper and lemon wedges, as desired. Tip: If you cannot find Meyer lemons, regular lemons can work, but be sure to simmer the chopped pieces in salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until most of the bitterness has gone away.