Crème Fraîche Pasta with Trout Roe
When I don’t have much time but I want to eat something that feels special, I often turn to crème fraîche or trout roe. They are small luxuries that pay off big. Here, I use both to make a pasta dish that is beautiful, extremely tasty, and ready in a jiff. Crème fraîche is like sour cream’s more sophisticated cousin. It is richly creamy, with just a little tanginess. Trout roe literally glows. It brings sweet-briny flavor to anything you add it to, along with a bursting, wonderful texture ‘clack’ against the teeth. With the holiday season upon us – and often less time to accomplish the ever-growing lists – this meal is a sure bet to wow your guests (while only spending a few minutes to whip it all together). Find trout roe at specialty markets or at some fishmongers. If you can’t find trout roe, salmon roe works just as well.
Crème Fraîche Pasta with Trout Roe
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
8 oz angel hair pasta
6 oz crème fraîche
1 tbsp finely chopped field garlic (can also use chives), plus more to garnish
½ tsp freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 2.8-oz container trout roe
Finely grated zest from 2 lemons, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh dill sprigs, to garnish
1/4-1/2 cup reserved pasta water, to build the sauce
DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions for al denté.
Use tongs to transfer noodles to a large mixing bowl, draining most of the cooking water, but some of the liquid will be crucial to help build the final sauce. Add the crème fraîche, chopped field garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and ground pepper and toss to full coat the pasta.
Add ¼ cup of pasta water and toss until the pasta mixture is uniform. Add half the trout roe and stir to coat. Divide twirls of pasta between shallow bowls, spoon the remaining roe on top, and garnish with dill and ground pepper to taste.