FROM THE RECIPE BOX
Lemon Garlic Pasta
A quick pasta for nights when you want dinner to taste fresh without making a project of it.
VJ
A small kitchen note: Read the method through once before starting, and taste as you go. Heat levels, produce, and personal preferences vary, so use the cues in the recipe as well as the clock.
Ingredients
- 200 g spaghetti or linguine
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 30 g finely grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
- Small handful parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- A little reserved pasta water
Method
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just al dente, following the packet timing. Before draining, reserve a mug of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a wide pan over low heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Keep it pale; browned garlic can turn bitter.
- Add the lemon zest and a few tablespoons of pasta water to the pan. Tip in the drained pasta and toss. Add lemon juice gradually, then Parmesan and another splash of pasta water until the sauce clings to the noodles.
- Finish with parsley, black pepper, and more Parmesan. Taste before adding extra salt, since the cheese and pasta water already bring seasoning. Serve immediately.
Cooking times are estimates and depend on equipment and ingredient size. Follow safe food-handling practices and check doneness where appropriate.
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