Ina Garten's Bougie 4-Ingredient Pasta Is Both Low-Effort And Show-Stealing

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When you think of a fancy dinner, you might think of a complex meal with plenty of ingredients that took hours to make. But according to Ina Garten, elevated doesn't have to be time-consuming. The Food Network chef, known as the Barefoot Contessa, has a simple, four-ingredient pasta recipe with one main ingredient that takes it to a new level: caviar. While caviar is expensive, this dish is perfect for special occasions when you might not mind spending a little extra. To get caviar on a budget, buy it online — direct sourcing keeps costs lower.

Garten's lemon capellini with caviar, featured in her 1999 "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," is made with capellini pasta, lemon juice (and zest), and butter, all of which you probably already have in your kitchen. But the showstopper is the black caviar, specifically what Garten calls "the highest quality, freshest malossol caviar you can afford." Malossol refers to caviar packed with minimal added salt and encompasses several caviar types.

By taking advantage of simple ingredients, the low-salt black caviar shines on the plate. Garten's recipe comes together by cooking the pasta to al dente, then tossing it with the melted butter and lemon ingredients. Finally, each plate is topped with caviar, bringing the effortless yet luxurious dinner together in minutes.

If you're a beginner to caviar, know that it's not all created equal. There are three main color types: Red, green, and black. Black caviar is considered the most coveted because it comes from the sturgeon fish — specifically, the beluga, osetra, sevruga, or kaluga varieties. Ina Garten recommends using osetra caviar for this dish because she believes it offers the best value for the price. Osetra caviar is still extremely high quality, but it's a little easier to get your hands on and not quite as smooth and buttery as the beluga. Young osetra caviar costs a little over $40 per serving, but there are a few different grades and types, so it can go much higher.

For a truly royal experience, beluga caviar is the most desirable. It's extremely hard to come by, with each fish taking up to 20 years to reach maturity for harvesting, and has a smooth, buttery taste with a creamy texture that works exceptionally well with pasta. Beluga caviar can cost more than $100 per serving, so if it's too pricey, go with osetra. Sevruga can be pricey, too, at more than $100 per ounce, but it does depend on where you purchase it. The worst caviar mistakes start with the spoon, so it's worth investing in a proper Mother of Pearl spoon that pairs best with caviar without compromising flavor.