I love this dish - easy, fast, light. Make the sauce while the pasta boils.
(from My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow)
3/4 lb (3/4 box) spaghetti
coarse salt
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups finely grated fresh parmesan cheese (about 3 1/4 oz), plus extra for serving
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3-5 Tbsp pasta water, to thin
Handful of fresh basil leaves (from 4 leafy stems)
Boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water, according to package directions.
While the pasta cooks, grate zest of lemon into large mixing bowl. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into bowl. Add cheese, pepper, pinch of salt. Mix in olive oil to form wet paste.
When spaghetti is cooked add 2 or 3 Tbsp of pasta water to lemon and cheese mixture. Add spaghetti to bowl and toss thoroughly, adding another 1-2 Tbsp of pasta water, if necessary. Rough tear basil leaves and toss in.
Serve each bowl with a sprinkle of coarse salt, a fresh grind of pepper, and a few gratings of parmesan cheese.
We very often make pasta with olive oil, grated parmesan, salt & pepper, but we don't always have fresh basil around and the addition of lemon & pasta water is new to me. I'll have to try it--thanks!
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