Loving Linguine

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My family has never been into pasta. I, on the other hand, have always been into pasta. Pasta and I have a long, beautiful history filled with different kinds of sauces, a ton of cheese (I am from the Midwest after all), and every kind of dipping bread imaginable on the side. But as much as I've always loved it, I've only just started making it for myself. And I must admit: preparing a good bowl of pasta takes time, and a lot of perfecting.I'm not totally there yet, but at least I've learned that once you've got the water boiling, you TURN DOWN THE STOVE. (I learned that the hard way, and how fast it takes for water to boil up, and then OVER a pot.) Last night, after two hours (when I thought it would only take maybe one, tops) I enjoyed my third attempt at a complicated pasta dish. The first two were both Pasta Carbonara. The first try I had help, the second, I accomplished all on my own. Both successes, and last night, I can proudly say, was another great and delicious...SUCCESS.

The audience I had the pleasure of cooking for (i.e. my parents) requested meat with their linguine; something that wasn't included in the recipe. So I bought a few pieces of chicken breast, cubed them, seasoned them, then sauteed them on the stove for 15 minutes total. Meat covered.

Then onto the main dish...

linguine lemonTHIS, ladies and gentleman, is the most fragrant bowl of pasta to date. Lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, FRESHLY GRATED parmesan cheese, a dash or two of heavy whipping cream, and a few fresh sprigs of basil. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top, grate some more cheese (HONESTLY, IS THERE EVER ENOUGH CHEESE? The answer is "no."), and you've got yourself a yummy pasta dish!

Not a tummy was empty last night, and I WILL be making this again.

What You'll Need:

  • 1 pound spaghetti or linguine
  • Salt
  • 3 lemons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving
  • Ground black pepper
  • Small handful fresh basil or arugula (what I used, deliciously, in a pinch) leaves, shredded

Find the recipe here!

 

HAPPY COOKING!

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