Taste and Create: Lemon Fettucine

During the month of November, I participated in "Taste & Create", a monthly event that pairs up food bloggers, where each has to recreate a dish that the other has posted on their blog. Due to computer problems and family issues, I'm late in posting this here, but thankfully, managed to get it submitted to the main site on time.

I was paired up with Min of The Bad Girl's Kitchen, and was thrilled to be matched with a blogger who's been around for a fair while, therefore giving me a wider selection to choose from. I quickly narrowed the options down (since a fair amount included meat or fish), and finally settled on Lemon Spaghetti. A Giada De Laurentiis dish, it promises to be fast with fresh flavours. As I've been looking at picking up "Everyday Italian" for a while now, this gave me the opportunity to test drive it, so to speak.

Fast indeed, this meal took me less than 15 minutes to prepare, including the time it took to cool the fettuccine I used. I liked that the recipe was straightforward, and used simple ingredients I usually have around the house. I was not thrilled by the end result, however - my family will understand when I call it The Good-Bad Salad Dressing Effect. E somewhat liked it, and should I make it again, would eat it. I think the main issue lies with the olive oil; since it does not specify, I used regular olive oil, and this really should be made with an extra-virgin - you really can taste the olive oil quite a bit. I'll probably be making this again at some point with good oil to see if it makes a difference, because it does deserve a second chance for its simplicity alone.

Lemon Fettuccine
from The Bad Girl's Kitchen
serves 4

• 2/3 cup olive oil (seriously, use a good one!)
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used Realemon)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (I omitted)
  

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to blend.
   
2. Set the lemon sauce aside. (The sauce can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite.
4. Drain, carefully reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
   
5. Add the fettuccine to the lemon sauce, and toss with the basil and lemon zest. Toss the pasta with enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten (I didn't need to, mine was moist enough).
6. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowls and serve.