Lemongrass Capellini

Instructions

1. Boil the capellini in salted water, draining it 1 minute before the time on the package. Toss with 2 tbsp grapeseed oil in a bowl.
2. Trim about 2cm off the root end and 3cm off the top of the lemongrass stalks, then peel off two outer layers. Bruise it evenly with the back of a knife or a sturdy tool to release the aroma, then slice thinly on a bias.
3. Thinly slice the scallion and red chili as well, and finely chop the ginger and garlic.
4. Heat grapeseed oil in a pan and add the lemongrass, scallion, ginger, and garlic, stirring well over medium heat.
5. Once the lemongrass and ginger are fully cooked, add the red chili. If you’re adding shrimp, cook it in at this stage too.
6. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce and sugar, then add the juice and zest of half a lemon, mixing well to make the sauce.
7. Add the pasta water, sauce, and boiled capellini to the pan, tossing well over low heat for about a minute so the sauce fully soaks into the noodles.
8. Transfer the capellini to a plate and top with whatever’s left in the pan to finish.

Tips

• In summer, I’m the type to make iced tea with lemongrass and ginger just for the aroma — this brings that same combination to pasta.
• Steeping thinly sliced lemongrass and ginger into a syrup lets you enjoy the subtle fragrance down to the very last sip.
• This recipe uses almost double the noodles of other recipes here (150g), but between the umami of the fish sauce, the warmth of the ginger, a hint of sweetness, and the brightness of lemon, it’s surprisingly addictive.
• To really enjoy this combination, it’s important to use very thin noodles like angel hair or capellini.
• Adding shrimp brings out even more umami and makes it taste even better.

Lemongrass Capellini
Equipment: pot, frying pan, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl
Ingredients (1 serving)

- capellini 150g
- lemongrass 3
- garlic 2 cloves
- scallion 1 stalk
- red chili pepper 1 (cheongyang chili works too)
- lemon ½ juice and zest
- ginger 15g
- grapeseed oil 4 tbsp
- fish sauce 2 tbsp
- sugar ½ tbsp
- pasta water 1 ladle (55ml)
- salt 1 tbsp (for pasta water)
- salt a pinch
- shrimp 5, peeled and deveined (optional, tastes even better with it)

Instructions
1. Boil the capellini in salted water, draining it 1 minute before the time on the package. Toss with 2 tbsp grapeseed oil in a bowl.
2. Trim about 2cm off the root end and 3cm off the top of the lemongrass stalks, then peel off two outer layers. Bruise it evenly with the back of a knife or a sturdy tool to release the aroma, then slice thinly on a bias.
3. Thinly slice the scallion and red chili as well, and finely chop the ginger and garlic.
4. Heat grapeseed oil in a pan and add the lemongrass, scallion, ginger, and garlic, stirring well over medium heat.
5. Once the lemongrass and ginger are fully cooked, add the red chili. If you're adding shrimp, cook it in at this stage too.
6. In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce and sugar, then add the juice and zest of half a lemon, mixing well to make the sauce.
7. Add the pasta water, sauce, and boiled capellini to the pan, tossing well over low heat for about a minute so the sauce fully soaks into the noodles.
8. Transfer the capellini to a plate and top with whatever's left in the pan to finish.

https://hong-recipe.pages.dev/en/recipes/lemongrass-capellini/