Aglio e Olio with Lemon
I made this recipe for my family on my mother’s 65th birthday. Everyone raved about how great it was and it honestly took like 10 minutes to prepare. The thing about cooking with fresh ingredients is that it doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated.
Serves 4
¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves garlic, crushed
The zest of one lemon
The juice of one lemon
1 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley (a small handful)
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (a small handful)
Salt
Pepper
1 375 g box of whole wheat pasta, I used fusilli when I made this dish for my family.
– Bring a large pot of water to boil, season with salt liberally (you want the pasta water to taste like the sea). Cook the pasta according to box directions.
Meanwhile prepare the sauce;
– In a sauté pan add the olive oil, garlic and lemon zest. Bring the heat up to medium low and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the edges of the garlic start to brown. If the garlic is browning too quickly drop the heat to low.
– Season with salt and pepper.
– Add the pasta to the pan when it is cooked and mix well.
– Squeeze the lemon juice onto the pasta, careful not to let any of the seeds fall in; mix the pasta again.
– Top with fresh parsley and basil.
Notes:
1. Feel free to top the pasta with parmesan cheese.
2. If you like a little heat you can add some chili flakes to the oil when you add the garlic and lemon zest.
3. By adding the garlic and lemon zest to the oil before you turn on the heat you infuse the oil with all of the flavour from these awesome ingredients.
4. Again, if you are used to the traditional white pasta try cooking the whole wheat pasta 2 minutes longer than the package calls for (this will make the texture more similar to the white pasta).
5. Eat whole wheat pasta, please!
6. You can wilt in some fresh spinach just before adding the pasta to the pan; a great way to boost vitamins.
