This may not be The Pasta Queen’s ‘Lemon Temptress’ recipe (but you should really check that and her out if you’ve been living in a cave and don’t know who she is!! ) BUT…this IS a quick and dirty version I came up with because I make it so often I cant afford to be too fussy about it! It’s legitimately one of my favorite foods, like ‘last meal’ fav…. Hope it is for you too!
Slammin’ Lemon Pasta
Bright, velvety, cheesy and fresh, this one will get you goin
Ingredients
- 1 small white onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil (plus a drizzle to finish)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (more if preferred)
- 1/2 package spaghetti
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for plating)
- 4 cups washed, raw spinach
- pinch red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted (about 3 tbsp kosher salt) water to a boil.
- Dice the onion and heat 1 tbsp of butter and the olive oil until melted and beginning to bubble.
- Add the onions and sauté gently until translucent, add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Add the white wine and let the alcohol burn off slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter, the lemon juice, half the zest and parmesan cheese, stir until smooth.
- Cook pasta for 9 minutes, (al dente), drain but reserve a cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta directly into the pan with the sauce, stirring for 2 minutes until very well incorporated. You can slowly add a little bit of the pasta water for consistency and more cheese if you prefer. Now, take off the heat and add the spinach, tossing gently. The spinach should wilt but stay green.
- Now, you can plate the pasta, topping it with the remaining lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and more parmesan cheese. If you’re a lemon fanatic like me, add an extra squeeze over the top.
