Gin & Lemons

Me and the other half have been doing a dry Mon-Thu given that alcohol is supposed to suppress the immune system. But yesterday it was Friday so we decided we deserved to celebrate the weekend and our forbearance through the week. That means a local craft brew for him and a gin and tonic (or two) for me while I’m cooking.

As well as a huge craft beer output on Vancouver Island, we also have a lot of independent craft distilleries. Ampersand Gin is one of our local craft gins and very good it is too. And as a writer, its name appeals to me. Paired with some decent tonic, it was a nice reward for abstinence.

The lemons part is from the lemon pasta we had for dinner. It’s one of my go-to dinners when I have no idea what to make as it’s so straight forward.

Squeeze one-two lemons depending on how sharp you want your sauce. Add in enough oil to blend well with the lemon juice. (The more oil, the runnier the eventual sauce). Finely grate in a wodge of parmesan and whisk until you get a kind of creamy, lemony, oily mixture. Quantities are really dependant on how you’re feeling on any given day.

Last night, I decided to sauté some prosciutto from one of those packs you get in the supermarket and keep for ages in fridge. Other times, I’ve added prawns, or squid rings, or whatever else you think might go with lemons, parmesan and pasta.

Cook your pasta – I use spaghetti for this, but you could use whatever you want.

When the pasta’s cooked, drain, return to the pan and add your lemon/oil/parmesan mixture and mix thoroughly to heat through in the hot pan. Add a pile of pepper and your prosciutto or whatever else you’re using.

Tip into bowls and serve, making sure you scrape in all the lemony sauce that might be lurking at bottom. Bobs your uncle, an easy dinner for a Friday night, and a decent gin while I was cooking. 

Result all around.