Spring Linguine with Basil

Courtesy of Cooking Light

I have seen a few Meatless Mondays in my day, but here I present to you the kind of dish that makes you sigh with satisfaction because of its simple perfection, no meat even needed. I added garlic because I wanted a little more punch, and it was one of our favorite dishes so far. I also substituted a package of sugar snap peas for freshly shelled peas and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Spring Linguine with Basil
Adapted from Cooking Light

Yield: 4 servings ( 1 cup)

Ingredients

9 ounces uncooked fresh linguine
1 cup shelled fresh green peas
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 ounces shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add peas to pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup pasta liquid.
2. Heat oil and butter in pan over medium heat 1 minute or until butter melts. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in pasta mixture, reserved pasta water, juice, salt, and pepper; toss well.
3. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon basil and about 2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.