Lemon Basil Mascarpone Pasta Recipes

LEMON SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• 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 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.

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.

RACHAEL RAY'S LEMON-BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil , for cooking the pasta. Add salt once water is boiling, then the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Note: you will need to use a ladleful (probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup) of the starchy pasta water to make the sauce, so gather that 1/4 to 1/2 cup before draining the water.
• While pasta cooks, zest the lemon. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add lemon zest and garlic to oil. Sweat the garlic for two minutes, then add wine.
• Reduce the wine for 30 seconds, then add the reserved ladle of pasta water and the juice of the lemon. Reduce 30 more seconds. Turn the heat off.
• Drain pasta and then transfer it to the skillet with the garlic-lemon-wine sauce. Add in the basil; toss pasta for a minute to absorb flavors. Season pasta with salt and pepper.

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.