Sicilian Lemon Pasta
Description
Enjoy this wonderful vegetarian dish on meatless Monday or any day of the week. It is so rich and satisfying, you won't miss the meat. The Mediterranean flavors make it truly special.
Ingredients
1 large lemon, washed and dried
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, cut into chunks
1/3 c. good quality olive oil
1 heaping T. crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. whole black, oil cured olives, pitted and drained
fresh parsley, chopped
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. thin spaghetti
1 c. reserved pasta water
chopped walnuts, for garnish
Directions
Sign In / Sign Up
Create, share, and connect with millions of people.Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
Continue with Email
Peel the zest from the lemon, using a vegetable peeler to slice off all of the rind. Be sure to just get the yellow part and not the bitter yellow part. Place it in a small food processor with the cheese; process until both are finely ground. There should be about 1 cup when finished. Set aside.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon; set aside.
Cook pasta in well salted boiling water according to the package directions, until just al dente, about 6 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet; add crushed red pepper and garlic. Heat gently; let peppers and garlic sizzle for 1-2 minutes to infuse flavor into the oil. DO NOT brown the garlic. Add the juice of the lemon and the salt and pepper, to taste.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
Add the pasta to the pan, along with the olives, lemon/cheese and just enough reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Toss well with the parsley, and garnish with chopped walnuts.
Serve immediately.
3-4 servings.