Lovely Lemon Capellini

I heart lemon + butter. They were made for each other--a perfect duet in both sweet and savory foods. For the latter, I add some garlic and chopped herbs to bring the flavor right up over the top. Simple food doesn't have to be boring, and just because this meal takes literally ten minutes to put together doesn't mean it won't make your mouth sing.

I would eat this for lunch every day....but last night we had it for a light Meatless Monday supper after an extraordinarily overindulgent weekend (cheesy bean dip and beer, anyone?). Though the kids rolled their eyes at the seemingly plain meal, they somehow managed to scarf it down--we did too...and I was very disappointed to learn that there wasn't a morsel left over for lunch today. Thankfully, it isn't hard to make.

Don't forget the give away! Leave a comment here telling me how you use lemons for a chance to win a scrumptious bottle of Fresh Sugar Lemon Bath Gel!






Lemon Capellini with Butter and Garlic
Printable Recipe

Serve this lovely pasta dish for lunch or for a light meatless supper. Garlic infused butter and olive oil, as well as lemon zest and bright herbs make for an explosion of flavor in such a quick and simple dish. Here I've only added parsley, but in summer I like to add chopped basil, lemon time and/or fresh oregano.

Prep time: 7 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: serves 4 for lunch or a light dinner

Ingredients:

1 pound of capellini or angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated
Zest of one lemon, finely chopped
Juice from one lemon
Parmesan cheese, grated
Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Add capellini and cook for 3 minutes or according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, place butter, olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. Turn heat to medium low and cook until butter melts and garlic begins to turn golden. Add lemon zest and juice and turn heat to low.

3. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet and toss well with the butter and garlic. Add a splash of cooking water if necessary to keep pasta from sticking.

4. Pour pasta in to serving bowl and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with additional lemon zest if desired. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.