Our lives are interlaced with work, school, sports, music and what not. Yes, our family has also jumped into the modern life bandwagon where time always falls short; we are ‘time poor’.
After a long day at work, cooking dinner should not feel like work or another chore. And for that we need simplified meals like this spaghetti with lemon and basil. It is a breeze to make and is delicious. During summer my garden produces a lot of basil, zucchini and lemons. And for me this seems to be a fine way to use up all that produce. I have found that pasta is often the best when made simply with the right combination of a few ingredients. And this simple pasta dish corroborates my perspective. Zucchini can be easily substituted with any summer vegetable of your choice and you can use any pasta you have on hand. The possibilities are endless once you know how to make this simple lemon-basil sauce.
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | 2 lemons |
| 2 cloves of garlic sliced |
| â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil |
| ¼ cup olive oil to saute the zucchini |
| 1 cup basil |
| ¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese |
| 1 pound spaghetti |
| 3 or 4 zucchinis |
| 1 teaspoon sea salt |
| ½ teaspoon pepper |
Directions
| Sauce | |
|---|---|
| Slightly warm the extra-virgin olive oil and drop the sliced garlic in the warm oil. Do not heat up the oil |
| Finely grate the zest of two lemons, and then juice 1 ½ lemons |
| Combine the garlic olive oil, zest and juice of lemons, basil, cheese, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined into a puree |
| Vegetable | |
|---|---|
| Slice the zucchini |
| Sprinkle with some salt and pepper |
| Saute them in olive oil until cooked. You have to do it in a few batches |
| Pasta | |
|---|---|
| Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water, until pasta is al dente |
Al Dente
To the tooth, or al dente, means pasta that is firm but not hard. It’s how pasta should be served and it goes from al dente to overcooked quickly. Because pasta continues to cook as you sauce it, don’t be afraid to drain your pasta early. Checking the pasta by taking a bite is a good way to gauge if it’s done. Take the bite before the suggested cooking time on the box.
| Putting it all together | |
|---|---|
| Drain the spaghetti and transfer it to a serving bowl |
| Add sauce, toss to combine |
| Adjust seasoning to taste |
| Add cooked zucchini, garnish with some fresh basil and serve immediately |
Inspiration: Quick dinners
I always cook spaghetti with cheese and garlic, but the cheese is grated and comes from industries, so I don’t think it’s very good, I will definitely try this new recipe! Thanks for all the knowledge and health
Best Regards
Simón
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Hope you you give it a try; let me know if you like it.