Saffron Citrus Cream Bucatini with Chèvre

I vividly recall a conversation surrounding the creation of this dish. I KNOW it was with my dad in Mexico – BUT, for the life of me, I cannot recall the context. I cannot.

Blame it on the tequila? Naw…

We’ll just go with age.

 

Bucatini is such an unusual cut of pasta. It’s almost magical. How do “they” get “it” to be hollow like that? Truly – it’s HOLLOW spaghetti.

 

Bucatini, also known as perciatelli, are a thick spaghetti-like pasta with a hole running through the center. They are common throughout Lazio, particularly Rome. The similar ziti are long hollow rods which are also smooth in texture and have square-cut edges; “cut ziti” are ziti cut into shorter tubes.

 

I asked Valerie about it – she said “they” use an extruder. 

Sure, but what about in Italy before electricity? How DID “they” do it?

 

And it’s a little crunchy (al dente, of course) – like penne – but more condensed. I like that. 
Penne Rigate (I like the ridges for better sauce holding) has always been a favorite of mine, but the density, complexity, difficulty, and rarity of bucatini suits me better TODAY, I believe.

 

This lemon saffron sauce – swoon – oh my. I can’t get it out of my mind and the creamy, citrusy, aromatic birth off my lips.

 

In Italian cuisine, bucatini is served with buttery sauces, pancetta or guanciale, vegetables, cheese, eggs, and anchovies or sardines. One of the most common sauces to serve with bucatini is the Amatriciana sauce, bucatini all ‘amatriciana. It is traditionally made with guanciale, a type of cured meat taken from the pork jowl.

 

Raw bucatini can be used as a biodegradable drinking straw.

Let’s go with a less traditional sauce and settle for this gem: Saffron Citrus Cream Bucatini with Chèvre.

  

Saffron Citrus Cream Bucatini with Chèvre 

1 16 oz. pkg Bucatini pasta
2 cups water
2 cups white wine (Chardonnay)
4 Tbs. butter
3/4 cup whipping cream
juice of 1 fresh lemon, zest reserved
sea salt and pepper
1 tsp. saffron
6 oz. fresh chèvre cheese, sliced
fresh parsley
reserved lemon zest

 

Bring a large pot of 2 cups water to a rolling boil. 

 

Season with salt.

Add the pasta.

Bring to a boil, once again.

Add the white wine.

Roll up to boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook until the pasta is soft and most of the liquid has absorbed.

Remove from heat. 

 

Throw in the butter and cover, tightly.

Leave cover and allow the pasta to absorb the remaining liquid and butter (stirring occasionally) for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and saffron. Cover again, stirring every minute or so, until the liquid is mostly absorbed.

 

Plate, top with sliced goat cheese and garnish with fresh Italian parsley and lemon zest.