Donatella Diaries: Cooking with Lemons on 'The Today Show'
I was thrilled to be invited back to cook on The Today Show earlier this month for a lemon segment. The Today Show is taped live, so you never know what's going to happen -- the segment can get extended or shortened at a moment's notice and you have to be able to go with the flow. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out Matt Lauer was hosting my segment. He has been a regular customer of mine, frequenting my first restaurant Bellini, with his then-girlfriend (now wife), and dining at davidburke and donatella.
Although I do a lot of cooking segments for tv, The Today Show still makes me nervous and Matt Lauer was messing with me a little, just for kicks. When the cameraman started the countdown Matt whispered to me, "Up until today, The Today Show was tanking and it is up to you to save the day." We had a great time! The segment was all about lemons and cooking with them. I made bucatini (with lemon zest, ricotta and basil), lemonade to wash it down, and my Aunt Donata's Limoncello ricotta cheesecake for dessert.
Matt didn't let me finish my pasta dish -- he must have been concerned we wouldn't get through the segment -- but that's live tv for you! As you can see by the photos, I finished the pasta after the segment and fed the crew. They loved it. Below is my recipe for bucatini with ricotta; it's the perfect summer pasta dish. Just remember: For this recipe, you have to go to your local cheesemonger and get the good ricotta. Buon Appetito!
--Donatella
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Bucatini with Lemon Zest, Basil and Ricotta
Serves 6 as a first course
INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound bucatini
• 1 cup high-quality ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano reggiano
• 2 Meyer lemons
• 2 handfuls of basil (chiffonade)
• Freshly ground pepper and sea salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Fill a large pot with water and enough salt so that you can taste it. Bring to boil. Add bucatini and cook until al dente.
2. Finely grate a handful of cheese into a large serving bowl.
3. Zest lemons into bowl. In a large deep saute pan, add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and zest of one lemon. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese, zest of other lemon, salt and pepper and incorporate all ingredients. Juice one lemon and reserve.
4. A few minutes before pasta is done, begin to saute garlic and zest on low heat, being careful not to brown garlic at all. Add juice of one lemon after a minute of sauteing. Drain cooked pasta and toss in parmigiano with tongs. Incorporate until well coated on high heat, then lower heat and add in ricotta mixture and fold in for 30 seconds. Turn off heat and sprinkle in basil. Toss and serve. (If sauce is too thick, use reserved pasta liquid to thin out.)
photos: donatella arpaia
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