Lemon Parmesan Sauce

When life gives you lemons, make this sauce. It’s an irresistible concoction that has all the beauty of an Alfredo with the added brightness of lemons, marrying refreshing citrus flavors with cheese and cream. Of course, you can tone down the dairy should you wish (see Jeff’s Tips). One ladle of this sunny sauce is all it takes to make any dish exciting—from chicken to shrimp, and rice to pasta. From Super Shortcut Instant Pot® by Jeffrey Eisner, photograph by Aleksey Zozulya.

Duration

25 Minutes

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

25 minutes, 4-6 servings, cheese and cream, chicken or garlic broth, cold water, cornstarch plus, dried parsley, grated parmesan cheese, heavy cream or half-and-half, instant pot, juice and grated zest of 3 lemons, large eggs, large shallots, pressure cook, refreshing citrus flavors, salted butter

Servings

4-6 Servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) salted butter
2 large shallots
3 1⁄2 cups chicken or garlic broth
Juice and grated zest of 3 lemons
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons cornstarch plus
2 tablespoons cold water
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the butter to the Instant Pot. Hit Sauté and Adjust so it’s on the More or High setting. Once melted and bubbling, add the shallots and sauté for 3 Minutes, until translucent.
Add the broth, lemon juice, and dried parsley and stir.
Secure the lid and move the valve to the sealing position. Hit Cancel followed by Manual or Pressure Cook on High Pressure for 3 Minutes. Quick release when done.
Meanwhile, in one bowl, mix together the cornstarch and cold water to form a slurry. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream.
When the lid comes off, give it a stir. Hit Cancel and then Sauté and Adjust to the More or High setting. Once bubbling, immediately stir in the slurry until thickened. Gently stir in the creamy egg mixture followed by the Parmesan and lemon zest. Hit Cancel to turn the pot off.

Notes

Jeff’s Tips:
You can cut down on this sauce’s richness by simply omitting the cream and Parmesan in Step 4 and you’ll still have a magnificent egg lemon sauce (while keeping it dairy-free if you also swap the butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in Step 1). If you want it thicker, just add 1–2 tablespoons additional cornstarch slurry until you’ve reached the desired consistency. Once a cornstarch slurry is mixed in and the sauce is refrigerated, it can become quite thick. Heating it up will bring it right back to its proper consistency.
To Serve 1–2:
Simply halve the recipe. Cook times remain the same.

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