Lemon Spaghetti

This recipe comes to you from "The Mozzarella Lady", aka as Giada De Laurentiis.  I love her.  My husband loves her too, but not for the same reasons. ;)  And we all love the way she says mozzarella, right?  I've had her cookbook sitting in my pantry for 3 years now and have never made a single dish, until just the other night.

This dish was super simple & tasted wonderful with a side of sliced Roma tomatoes (for you tomato lovers out there).  I will say this though...I think it would taste so much better as a side dish rather than a main dish, which is why you'll see it listed in both categories. Oh, and I might add the that the left overs served cold, right out of the fridge were quite delicious as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.