Life without pasta? Perish the thought. It's not a French thing per se, potatoes being the more ubiquitous starch of choice. But in Alsace, noodles are served with lots of dishes, from fish to game, mostly with heavy sauces somewhat like those from the Piedmont region of Italy. We had pasta a few times a month when I was a kid, but we tended to favor the lighter, more intensely flavored preparations, like this cream-and-lemon combination Tante Caroline developed. She considered it a perfect lunch staple accompanied by a salad and piece of fruit. Her daughter, Louise, tells me it's still very popular with all the kids. Pay attention to the portions!

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　12 ounces tagliatelle

　　4 lemons

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　6 ounces crème fraîche

　　4 ounces Parmesan cheese

　　Salt and freshly ground pepper

　　

Step 1

1. Cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

　　

Step 2

2. While the pasta is cooking, grate the zest of lemons and squeeze and reserve the juice of 1 lemon.

　　

Step 3

3. In a saucepan, warm up the olive oil, add the zest, and cook over low flame for 2 minutes. Add the crème fraîche and bring to a boil; pour in the reserved lemon juice and bring to a boil again.

　　

Step 4

4. When the cream starts to thicken, add the Parmesan, season to taste, mix well, and cook for another minute. Add the drained pasta and toss to mix. Serve immediately.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 142.2 calories

　　96.4 calories from fat

　　10.7g total fat

　　5.1g saturated fat

　　19.3mg cholesterol

　　454.3mg sodium

　　1.2g total carbs

　　0.2g dietary fiber

　　0.3g sugars

　　10.2g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　From When French Women Cook by Madeleine Kamman, ©2004 by Madeleine Kamman. Published by Ten Speed Press.Madeleine Kamman was born in Paris and started her culinary career in 1940 at her aunt's restaurant in the Touraine region of France. A revered culinary instructor since 1962, Kamman has written two other books: Dinner Against the Clock and The New Making of a Cook.