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Active Time
15 minutes
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Total Time
15 minutes
Again, easy peasy. Not only can this be made while the pasta is cooking, you have plenty of time to make a lovely salad and assemble a cheese plate for after dinner. Parmesan, lemon, and basil are a threesome made in heaven. The cheesy lemon basil flavors are also very kid friendly.
Ingredients
Serves 4
Step 1
Boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water, according to the package directions.
Step 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.
Step 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.
Step 4
Serve each portion with a sprinkle of coarse salt, a fresh grind of black pepper, and a few gratings of extra Parmesan.
Leave a Review
Reviews (19)
Back to TopI actually find myself craving this quite a bit. I make this regularly when I need a quick and flavorful pasta meal using any type of pasta. Sometimes I add chicken or steamed broccoli. Husband & kid-approved!
katnguyen1165
Tustin, CA
7/5/2017
This is one of my favourite quick pasta dishes. It's really good as-is, and it also lends itself well to variations. It's nice with angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti, and I've tried substituting the basil for diced steamed broccoli and a few shakes of red pepper flakes (based on having a similar dish at restaurant in Wellington called Larder). Some reviews recommend serving it as a side for fish or seafood, but I'd have to disagree with that - I think the parmesan flavour would clash with the fish or seafood. I've served it as a side for steak, and that worked well.
vawheeler
Wellington
3/1/2014
This was simple and quick to make. I added garlic to the lemon/cheese mixture and threw in a couple of handfuls of arugula but otherwise made to the recipe. I thought it was good. Simple but flavorful. Great comfort food.
samsublime
Pittsburgh, PA
1/1/2013
i absolutely love this and find i always have the ingredients so its an easy go to. i add handfuls of baby spinach at the basil stage, add cracked black pepper to the sauce, and use whole wheat pasta. a favorite.
Anonymous
12/25/2012
Easy and tasty. It doesn't have enough oomph to stand on its own, however, and needs a piece of fish or meat and a side salad, to complete it as a full meal. I used Parmigiano Reggiano, which gave it a very complex flavor. With a dish as simple as this one, you need to use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients.
tastysausagerecipe
Brooklyn, NY
11/25/2012
This was exceptional. I added scallops and it was wonderful. Mmmmmmmm
riverniles
6/22/2012
Sadly, the hardest part about this recipe was finding a block of Parmesan to grate! My local store didn't have any - only the pre-shaved, bottled kind, so I had to go with that since I was in a rush. It made the lemon and cheese paste not quite the right consistency, but the taste was still great! I think the dish will be really phenomenal if I can get the right cheese next time.
KrisRix
Montreal
5/15/2012
This was absolutely delicious and super easy. I'm making it again for a dinner party tonight, adding shrimp to make it more hearty and healthy. Well done, Gwinnie.
mattypw
Boston, MA
10/24/2011
This is good as is for a side, but I like to add to the strainer before draining the pasta a bunch of arugula. I also add in sauteed shrimp and/or scallops as well to make a main out of this dish
Anonymous
NYC & Cinicinnati
9/20/2011
This was a good weeknight pasta - we did chop the basil before adding and added paste back to pasta in hot, empty pasta cooking pot. Used more lemon juice and drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the top. Good starter course, light dinner or side as part of a dinner with maybe grilled sausages & salad.
Anonymous
San Francisco,CA
6/1/2011
Quick, easy, and tasty. I'd change a couple things though next time: chop the basil fine, and mix it in with the cheese AFTER adding the pasta. Making the cheese/lemon mix and then dumping the pasta on top of it left big gobs of cheese - it didn't mix in smoothly at all. Used angel hair. Could have used a little more lemon, too - I'd use 1 1/2 lemons next time. But there will definitely be a next time!
Anonymous
Moscow, Idaho
5/15/2011
Nothing too special. One-dimensional. Would not make again.
Anonymous
5/13/2011
Very tasty, although I found that regular spaghetti (even 3/4 of the box) rather overwhelmed the delicate lemon and Parmesan flavor (too much spaghetti--the 'sauce' couldn't cover all of it well). Next time I think I'll try using angel hair or reducing the regular spaghetti to a half box or less in order to find a better balance. Would definitely make again, although this light dish could probably benefit from some excellent sides to bolster it at a meal.
MontglaneChess
A2
5/5/2011
Very easy. Used whole grain pasta. Everyone loved it!
Anonymous
Cleveland OH
5/4/2011
Easy! Fast! I added grilled shrimp, and my kids loved it.
Anonymous
WI
5/3/2011
