The sauce is cream, citrus juice, and zest, reduced until it coats the back of a spoon, with the fresh tarragon added off the heat so its fragrance comes through clearly rather than cooking away. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it finishes in the pan, so every strand carries both the citrus brightness and the herbal depth. It is the kind of combination that sounds addictive in writing and proves it on the plate.
Two servings, one pan, and a pasta that takes about twenty minutes from start to finish. The citrus keeps the cream from feeling too heavy, and the tarragon keeps the citrus from tipping into something sharp. Together they produce a balance that makes this worth making more than once.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Tagliatelle pasta – or fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti.
- Cream
- Lemon zest
- Orange zest
- Tarragon
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
This Creamy Pasta with Citrus and Tarragon recipe is a easy and fast to make. The combination of cream and citrus is something I tried before and absolutely love it, the addition of tarragon turn out to be absolutely delicious. It sounds like a small thing and agreed, the addition of a herb is not ground breaking. But tarragon has a rather powerful flavor and aroma and does change the flavor of the entire dish. The combination is indeed something to try.
How to Make Creamy Pasta with Citrus & Tarragon
- Step 1 – Combine cream and lemon and orange zest in a skillet and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently, until the sauce lightly coats the back of the spoon and sides of the pan. This will only take max. 5 minutes after boiling.
- Step 2 – Add the chopped tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. You want to hold some of the zest and the tarragon leaves for decoration.
- Step 3 – At the same time you work on the cream, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Drain pasta and transfer to the cream sauce, mix to coat
- Step 4 – Add some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and salt and pepper if needed.
- Step 5 – Sprinkle with some zest and chopped tarragon or tarragon leaves and serve immediately.
This recipe does not include a lot of sauce, so the pasta cools off very quickly. So, please serve it on a warm plate or in a warm bowl. You can also serve it as decorative little pasta towers. It’s easier to make a tower with spaghetti than with tagliatelle, but with this Creamy Pasta with Citrus and Tarragon it kinda worked.
Other Recipes with Cream-Citrus Sauces to Try
Creamy Pasta with Citrus & Tarragon
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 4 ounces tagliatelle pasta
- 1 cup cream
- 1/2 lemon zest, zest only
- 1/2 orange zest, zest only
- 1/4 cup tarragon, chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine cream and lemon and orange zest in a skillet and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently, until the sauce lightly coats the back of the spoon and sides of the pan.This will only take max. 5 minutes after boiling. Keep a little bit of the zest for decoration.
- Add the chopped tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Keep some tarragon leaves for decoration.
- At the same time, cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging.
- Drain pasta and transfer to the cream sauce, mix to coat and add the cheese, and salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately and sprinkle with some zest and chopped tarragon or tarragon leaves.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.