Source: Recipe Courtesy of Jo Thrasher - food52.com

Hazelnut Brown Butter Pappardelle

Browned Butter, pasta and hazelnuts – what’s not to love in this perfect date night dish!

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 C peeled hazelnuts, roughly chopped
8 ounces of pappardelle (or long pasta of your choice)
1 T lemon zest
1/2 C chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces finely grated parmesan cheese
Juice of one lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

Brown the butter in a large skillet. To do this, melt it over medium heat until it foams up substantially. Once the foaming dies down, swirl it frequently – keeping a close eye on it. You will notice the milk solids drop to the middle or bottom of the pan and begin to brown. Once it’s a light chestnut color, turn the heat to low and add your chopped hazelnuts. Stir and toast over low heat for five minutes, or until the nuts start to take on a little color

Drop your pasta in a pot of boiling, well salted water and cook one minute shy of the package directions. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and add it to the brown butter and nuts, along with half of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss thoroughly to coat the noodles, adding a little more liquid if it looks too dry. It should be just a little wetter that you want at this point.

Turn off the heat. Add the lemon zest, parsley, black pepper, and grated cheese. Toss to combine thoroughly. Then squeeze over the lemon juice, toss again, and serve immediately with an extra sprinkling of cheese.