Creamy Lemon Parmesan Pasta

I’m sure I’m not the only person who will just PREACH that 5-ingredient dinners are pretty much the best thing ever.

 

Let’s examine this a bit:  5 ingredients means that natural flavors have to shine.  It means that said ingredients will *likely* mean a less expensive dinner since there’s no reason to buy more stuff.  It means that there’s usually less time spent on the cooking part since you don’t typically need a lot of time to cook just a few ingredients (obviously this isn’t always the case – some things just need more time to cook!).  But all in all, 5 ingredients or less for dinner pretty much wins in my mind every time.

This, y’all, is one of those 5-ingredient wonders that tastes so you’ll never know that there aren’t extra steps to the recipe.  I love when simple flavors really come together to make something truly sublime; something that makes everyone sit back and wonder what exactly you did to prepare it.  It’s not just a 5 ingredient dish; it’s a dish that is done in 20 minutes or less (usually less) and pairs so perfectly with any number of things.  We served ours with this parmesan pesto tilapia, but I think it would go great with any kind of chicken/fish/beef/pork OR with a bunch of roasted vegetables.

 

Or, if you’re just in a pasta mood (let’s face it, I only ever want to eat pasta all the time for the rest of my life), just grab a bowl and dig in!

CREAMY LEMON PARMESAN PASTA

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 large lemons, zest and juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper
• chopped fresh basil (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt (about 1 Tbsp) to season it. Add the pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente (about 8 minutes). While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the lemon zest, minced garlic, and the egg yolks. Drain pasta and reserve about 1/2 cup of the water. Quickly whisk together the egg yolks and the pasta water, and add the lemon juice. Add the pasta back to the hot pot, reduce the heat to medium, and add the egg yolk mixture. Stir constantly until a thick sauce forms.  Remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and stir until completely melted. Serve hot with chopped basil and black pepper if desired.