Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano with Fresh Basil

I am feeling so passionate about this pasta that I just whipped up that I decided to sit down and actually write a blog for the first time in oh, I dunno..... 2 months and 2 days (Oops)

I have been pretty much carb free lately, minus the cocktail induced need for pizza and chinese food that overcomes me every weekend, but today I had a hole in my stomach the size of a bowl of pasta. Seriously.... spaghetti squash was not going to kill this craving. So I caved and turned to Gwyneth Paltrow for some help. Gosh, I love her.

Spaghetti Limone Parmeggiano with Fresh Basil

Holy delicious. I mean...... I could not dream up a more simple summery pasta. Fresh basil, lemon, and olive oil were pretty much invented to go together and the parmesan cheese gives the dish just a little richness. It is perfect. 

Ingredients:

3/4 pound of spaghetti (I used whole grain spelt pasta and it was STILL delicious. Hard to believe, but true)

Kosher salt

1 lemon

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup or so of left over pasta water to thin

Handful of fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

*This is pretty much exactly as is from Gwyneth's recipe, I used less cheese, but that's about it. 

Method:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. 

For the love of God, make sure it is al dente.

Using a microplane, zest the lemon into a bowl. Add the juice of the lemon, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and mix to form a paste. Add 2-4 tablespoons of pasta water to the paste to thin it out and then add the spaghetti and toss to coat. 

Sprinkle the chopped basil on top and serve with a grind of black pepper.