Ina Garten's 4-Ingredient Pasta Tastes Like a $100 Restaurant Dinner

We all remember our first love. Not the one where you wondered if your braces would hook onto theirs when you kissed, but the one that began with three little words: spaghetti al limone, or “lemon spaghetti.”

I wasn’t looking for a serious pasta-lationship at the time, but the lemon-butter sauce swept me off my feet when I tasted it one night at Terroni, an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. I couldn’t stop thinking about every gorgeously chewy noodle coated in that rich, velvety citrus sauce. But where’s the fun in keeping our favorite comfort foods to ourselves?

Bringing the brightness of a fresh lemon grove to the winter months, Ina Garten adds a bougie touch to her fan-favorite Lemon Capellini every New Year’s Eve: a dollop of caviar. It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that features delicate angel hair that cooks so fast you could start dinner in tandem with the ball drop in Times Square. “Ten … nine … Hey, you guys feel like pasta?” If you thought the butter-and-lemon combo couldn’t possibly get any more luxe, just wait till you experience it with the salty, popping “boba” of the sea.

Think Caviar Is Too Fancy for You? Think Again!

Even pretty-okay caviar can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. While Costco offers caviar at all sorts of price points—sturgeon is a reliable option—and you might find an affordable tin at a grocery store like Whole Foods, I feel like it puts a damper on the party vibe to take out a second mortgage before dinner.

So here's where a little caviar trick comes in handy: Romanoff Black Lumpfish caviar. It's wonderfully salty and briny just like the expensive stuff, but at $7 a pop on Amazon, you could enjoy the whole two-ounce jar yourself without breaking the bank.

Hold your party poppers! Let's start by calling it by its French name: les œufs de lompe. (See? We're feeling classier already!) Originally, I texted this high-end caviar dupe to my friends as a joke, but when my Paris-born friend responded with, "OMG you are amazing! Anytime we're in France, we pig out on this! It's in every grocery store!!" I knew I had to try it. While she loves it spooned over soft, buttered white bread, I promise you it's sensational on Ina's lemon capellini.

How To Make Ina Garten's Luxurious Lemon Capellini

While a big pot of salted water comes to a boil, zest two lemons, plus a third lemon for garnish, and juice two of the lemons. Melt half a pound of butter in the microwave, and measure out the salt and freshly cracked white pepper. You can use black pepper, instead.

Once the pasta water boils, drizzle a little EVOO into the pot, then drop in the capellini, and start a timer for two minutes. Once it goes off, quickly drain most of the water off the pasta, then stir in the melted butter, lemon zest from two lemons, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Arrange the pasta on six plates, and top with a little dollop of caviar. Garnish with lemon zest like it's gold confetti, and dive in.

In not-at-all-surprising news, I could have eaten a family-sized portion of plain, lemony buttered noodles for dinner on its own. But that extra caviar bursts like salty little fireworks in your mouth!

Feel like extra protein? Add grilled shrimp, salmon, or even McDonald's Chicken McNuggets for iconic high-low energy.

Speaking of balling on a budget, a glass of bubbly fits this pasta like a glove. I like a crisp and refreshing La Marca Prosecco for under $15; but if you're celebrating in spirit, Mionetto Alcohol-Removed Sparkling Wine tastes just like the real deal. Whether or not lemon "cap 'n' cav" becomes your New Year's Eve lucky charm, it's sure to make this party one you'll never forget.