Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano
A bright and elegant Italian pasta dish combining the fresh flavors of lemon and basil with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. This simple yet sophisticated recipe creates a light, creamy sauce that perfectly coats each strand of spaghetti.
Ingredients
- •¾ pound spaghetti
- •1 teaspoon coarse salt
- •1 whole lemon
- •1½ cups Parmesan cheese
- •½ teaspoon black pepper
- •2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- •4 tablespoons pasta water
- •4 stems fresh basil leaves
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water, according to the package directions.
10 min
- 2.
Meanwhile, using a Microplane, grate the zest from the lemon into a large mixing bowl. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl (I like to use the grater as a strainer-one less thing to clean). Add the 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, pepper, and a pinch of salt, and mix in the olive oil to form a wet paste.
5 min
- 3.
When the spaghetti is perfectly cooked, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking water to the lemon and cheese mixture. Add the spaghetti to the bowl and toss thoroughly, adding another tablespoon or 2 of pasta water if necessary so that the sauce coats each strand. Roughly tear in the basil leaves.
3 min
- 4.
Serve each portion with a sprinkle of coarse salt, a fresh grind of black pepper, and a few gratings of extra Parmesan.
2 min
