Meatless Mondays: Lemon Spaghetti

Meatless Mondays are back with a vegetarian pasta recipe.  (And, I ACTUALLY did make this on a Monday!)

This simple dish — requiring only a few ingredients — is packed with lemony flavor.  Because I had some fresh asparagus and Italian parsley in the fridge, I added both to the recipe.  I cooked the asparagus in the pasta pot for the last 3 to 4 minutes that spaghetti cooked.  And, I topped the pasta with the lemon zest and a combo of fresh basil and parsley.

This fresh tasting dish was perfect for a summer night!

Lemon Spaghetti
Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.