Light Lemon Basil Pasta Recipes

LEMON BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salty water to a boil. Prepare noodles al dente.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add garlic. Reduce to medium low heat.
• Add lemon juice and cooking wine, stir until warm.
• Toss with drained pasta.
• Top with parmesan and basil.

CREAMY LEMON BASIL PASTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of water to the boil and then add a generous amount of salt.
• Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
• Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
• Zest the lemons into a small bowl and then squeeze the juice into a measuring cup.
• When your pasta is about 3 minutes from being cooked pour the heavy cream into a pan. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the cream over medium heat for about 2 minutes until it comes to a simmer.
• Pour the cream mixture over the drained pasta, stir well then add the lemon juice. Stir to ensure the pasta is evenly coated and then cook over medium-low heat for a minute until everything is glossy and coated in the sauce.
• Add a splash of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce as needed.
• Stir the basil through the pasta and serve.
• Parmesan is optional but good!

LIGHT LEMON PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti at a boil until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
• Put cubed Romano cheese in the bowl of a food processor; process until coarsely grated, about 30 seconds. Put garlic into the food processor and process until the cheese and garlic are combined. Add spinach, basil, walnuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt; process until the mixture comes together into a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• With food processor running, drizzle olive oil into the mixture. Continue processing until the oil is integrated smoothly.
• Pour sauce over spaghetti and toss to coat.

LIGHT LEMON BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• First, finely chop about half a large onion and mince or press about four large cloves of garlic (organic, of course).
• Second, take about a handful of organic basil (I hate to admit I don't wash this because it is harder to mince) and then finely chop the basil.
• Third, shred about half to three-quarters cup of parmesan reggiano.
• Fourth, start a pot of boiling salted water.
• Open two cans of chicken broth (I like Ralphs because it is less sodium than Stater Bros.).
• Place about one large heaping tablespoon of cornstarch in a short water glass or coffee cup.
• Saute onion only over medium heat in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add about three or four shakes of ground white pepper (maybe a bit more if you like it spicy). After about two minutes of saute process, add garlic and continue to stir and heat for another one minute. This brings out flavor of garlic. Then add about 3/4 cup of white wine and raise heat to "high" to deglaze the pan. Boil to reduce the liquid until it is nearly gone.
• Add one can of chicken stock, keeping heat at high. Stir the pan to make sure that all accumulated flavor on side of pan is combined with liquid. Boil this down by about half. Then add most of the second can and boil down again by about 1/3.
• While the sauce is finishing, add pasta to boiling water.
• Using the balance of the unused can of chicken stock, slowly pour into the glass of cornstarch stirring to blend the powder into a paste and then add more stock to make it a thick cornstarch liquid. Add this liquid slowly to the sauce, stirring in to incorporate about 15 seconds after pouring. Continue to heat on medium heat until sauce has thickened slightly (won't be much thicker than a heavy liquid) - this won't take much more than 45 seconds. Turn off heat. Add juice from about 1 lemon, more or less if desired. Stir to blend lemon. Set aside.
• Drain pasta. Place in bowls. Add basil to each bowl of dry pasta. Mix. Add a bit of sauce. Mix. Then add a bit of cheese. Mix. Add more sauce and cheese and fresh ground black pepper on top.

LEMON, BASIL & MASCARPONE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until firm to the bite.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the lemon juice, zest and mascarpone in a skillet over medium-low heat.
• Warm gently, stirring constantly, until heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Add the pasta with the basil to the hot sauce.
• Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed.
• Serve immediately.