Creamy Lemon Orecchiette with Crispy Sage

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I can’t shake the feeling that today’s Creamy Lemon Orecchiette is more of a spring dish than a fall one. Something about lemon feels spring-ish. Maybe it’s an Eastertime lemon meringue pie association. But despite this inkling, I’m sharing this dish in the middle of October because I do what I want, I guess. It does have crispy sage – that’s very fall, right? And there is a coziness to pasta that makes it fitting fall fare regardless of flavor, right? I adore lemony dishes, plates of pasta in particular, year-round. And this one is one of the best I’ve ever made. That is not an exaggeration. This dish comes together in 30 minutes, it brings a lot of textures to the table, and it’s rich without being heavy. It is, in a word, perfection. So let’s get into it!

The first thing we’re going to do is fry some sage and fry some garlic chips. I love doing this with my pasta dishes because it maximizes flavor in two ways. I get a umami-rich, crispy topping for my finished pasta AND I get a nice infused olive oil to cook my pasta in. So while this can feel like a very easy step to skip, it’s also an easy way to make your relatively cost-effective pasta dish taste a little more expensive. 

Start by pouring olive oil into a large skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add a few sage leaves to the pan. The oil will bubble madly and the sage will turn a darker shade of green. These are all good and normal things we want to have happen. Try to pluck the sage from the oil before the edges start to brown. A little browning is okay, but we want to move quickly because the sage can go from perfect to burnt in the blink of an eye. For this reason, I wouldn’t add more than a few leaves to the pan at a time, so you can keep track of them. 

Next, add a couple of thinly sliced cloves of garlic to the oil. You can just throw them in there. I recommend slicing your cloves thin on a mandolin to ensure they’re all the same thickness. That way they’ll all cook at around the same rate. Once the garlic starts to turn golden, strain the oil through a fine mesh strainer into a heat-proof jar. Transfer the garlic chips that were collected in the strainer to a plate lined with a paper towel and set them aside to drain. 

Pour the now sage and garlic-infused oil back into the skillet. Add some shallots and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the shallots are just translucent. Stir in the rind of a preserved lemon. It should be very finely chopped as preserved lemons have a very intense and salty flavor. But if you’re looking for full-volume lemon flavor, these bad boys are the way to go. But the preserved lemon is optional because I know they can be hard to track down. If you can’t find them but you still want to add a little extra lemony oomph, add some lemon zest. But go easy on it – too much zest can read quite bitter. 

Add a can of chickpeas to the skillet and the juice of a couple of lemons. Bring the mixture up to a spirited simmer and cover. Let cook for 10 minutes. The simmering time will mellow the acid in the lemon juice and give the chickpeas and the citrus some time to get acquainted. And while those chickpeas are soaking in all that lemony essence, we’re going to cook the pasta according to the package’s directions. Just so you know, I find orecchiette tends to have a longer cooking time, so plan accordingly. I love orecchiette in this dish because the chickpeas collect in their nooks so well. But if you can’t find orecchiette, use any short pasta that floats your boat. I think penne or rigatoni would do quite well here. 

Now that the pasta is in the pan, add some butter and start sprinkling in Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss and agitate the pasta as you add the cheese. If things get too gloopy, add a splash or two of the reserved pasta cooking water. The residual starch in the water will help generate the sauce. Keep going until you have creamy, evenly coated pasta. Spoon the finished Creamy Lemon Orecchiette onto plates or into bowls. Top the pasta with the garlic chips and crispy sage. Finish with fresh ground pepper and serve alongside additional shredded Parm.

And that’s everything you need to know about this Creamy Lemon Orecchiette. It’s simple, punchy, and sophisticated. Whether you’re looking to impress someone or simply treat yourself, this pasta is an excellent choice.

Enjoy!