Tortellini with fresh herbs, originally uploaded by shannon_turlington.Last week I posted a wintry pasta dish, so this week I am countering with a pasta that is all about summer. This sauce is light and tangy, perfect for a hot summer night, especially if you can use herbs right out of your own garden. It pairs best with fresh pasta, I think. I used cheese tortellini to make a more filling main dish, but it would also work well with fresh fettuccine as a side.
I paired the pasta with steamed asparagus sprinkled with Parmesan and a little olive oil. (Just run it under the broiler until the Parmesan melts.)
Pasta with Lemon and Herbs
Time to make: ~10 minutes
Yields: 2 servings (double or triple as desired)What you need:
- 1 garlic clove, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- the zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp. butter, softened
- ¼ cup fresh herbs, minced (good choices are basil, parsley and oregano)
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- grated Parmesan to taste
- 8 oz. tortellini or other fresh pasta
- Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water.
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium.
- Add the garlic and saute just until golden, then remove from the heat.
- Combine the garlic and oil with the lemon juice, zest, butter and herbs in a large bowl.
- Toss with the cooked, drained pasta until the butter is melted and the pasta is well coated.
- Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and Parmesan as desired.
Note: Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and mix in a tablespoon or two if the sauce needs a little liquid.
This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Once Upon a Feast.
Tagged: Herbs, Lemon, Mediterranean, Pasta, Presto Pasta Nights, Summer, Tortellini
What a lovely summery dish, perfect for all the fresh herbs I’m finally beginning to see around here. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
This looks and sounds fantastic. I just ate a big grilled Fourth of July meal , and I’m hungry all over again just looking at the picture.
[...] basic plots in literature*, I believe there are five basic pasta sauces. They are garlic and oil, butter, white sauce, vegetable sauce and tomato sauce. But for each of these sauces, there are endless [...]
Although I found this three years later and in the Winter, I still used this recipe. I made some spinach for the vegetable. You saved my butt tonight for a quick meal. Thank you!
This was just what I was looking for to make tonight! Going to try it with some mushroom tortellini, thanks!
I hope you enjoy it!