The lemon tree is one of the oldest cultivated fruit plants originated from India. Today, lemon trees grow in subtropical climates all over the world, especially in Florida and the Mediterranean. Though the fruit and its juice have a sour taste to it, lemon has some great benefits to the body, household cleaning and of course, in cooking and baking. Tonight, I used lemons to flavor angel hair pasta for a recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis (yet again.)
Here is Giada's recipe for lemon spaghetti:1/2 pound spaghetti or angel hair
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon cup chopped fresh basil leaves
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 1/2 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.
