Make Spring Green Lemon and Basil Pasta (Healthy Eating)

• Food: Basil Pasta
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

On this night when we didn’t intend to stay up so late cooking, this is the basil pasta that we prepared for my sister and her husband.

These spaghetti noodles were handcrafted by our team, and I’ll have to show you how we did it in another post.

We were unable to take images of any phase of that procedure due to several factors, including the sticky nature of the noodles and the sticky nature of the flour.

Even though I got a late start on preparing this supper, it still comes together very quickly. Lemon and olive oil bring out the fresh flavor of the crunchy spring veggies in a way that is understated yet effective.

In addition, the taste does not overpower the taste of the fresh noodles, which is especially true if you make your pasta.

It came as a nice surprise to me that this turned out to have such a sophisticated appearance.

Because we were all worn out and hungry, I poured the remainder of the pasta that was not depicted into a huge bowl and had everyone dig in with their forks. At my place, we take the art of entertaining to a whole new level…

Spring Green Lemon and Basil Pasta

Ingredients

• ½ pound pasta, homemade or store-bought – whole wheat, or whatever you like
• ¼ cup, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• splash of white wine (1-2 tablespoons – optional)
• 1 cup chopped asparagus, thin spears, tender parts only
• ½ cup peas (can be frozen)
• 1-2 cups of spinach, roughly chopped
• a small handful of basil (about ¼ cup), chopped
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• pinches of salt and pepper
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• grated parmesan or pecorino cheese to go on top (optional)

Instructions

1. To make lemon oil, put the zest of one lemon into a small dish with one-fourth cup of olive oil and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta until it is almost done but not quite al dente. After draining the pasta, set aside some of the cooking liquid.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic and sauté for approximately one to two minutes, being careful not to let the garlic become burned. Peas and asparagus should then be tossed in, along with a splash of white wine if you’re using it, otherwise omit it. After zesting half of a lemon, squeeze its juice into a bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly by tossing. Continue to cook for about two more minutes, or until the peas are completely warmed through and the asparagus is soft but still has a lovely crunch to it.
4. After the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan and toss it so that everything is coated. After turning off the heat, stir in the spinach and let it wilt in the heat of the pasta.
5. Using a strainer, remove the zest from the lemon oil you have reserved (or leave it in if you want this extra lemon-ey). After adding the lemon oil, toss the spaghetti one more time to combine everything. To achieve the required consistency, if necessary add some of the water that came with the pasta. Toss in some fresh basil. One last time, give the seasonings a try and make any required adjustments.
6. Put the finishing touches on it with some shredded cheese and crushed red pepper (both optional).