Fettuccine with Lemon, Red Pepper Flakes, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper

Last night for dinner, my sister and I made Chef Mario Batali's recipe called "Fettuccine With Lemon, Hot Peppers, and Pecorino Romano" from his book Molto Italiano. It is a recipe we have made numerous times, and the first time we made it, we followed the recipe exactly (with the exception of omitting the jalapeno pepper because we didn't have any). The recipe is basically fettuccine tossed in a sauce of lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter, but there are red pepper flakes for some heat, and red onions for some colour and texture.

We have found it to be an extremely versatile recipe, as one time when we made it, we added mushrooms and rosemary, and last night, we added tomatoes and red pepper. Hence, the reason I call this pasta post "Fettuccine with Lemon, Red Pepper Flakes, Tomatoes, and Red Pepper" as opposed to the correct title noted in Batali's book.

This is among my favourite pasta recipes right now, because it has shown me how simple ingredients and good technique can amount to something so amazingly flavourful. Lemon is not something that North Americans would under normal circumstances connect with pasta, so it has certainly been a kind of epiphany for me, in showing just how versatile lemons and pasta can be on their own or together in a single recipe.