Lemony Spaghetti is a Great Lighter Dinner Option

In the cooler months, I will definitely go for a heartier pasta dish like my ultimate spaghetti lasagna. That is one of my all-time favorite winter comfort foods. However, when the warmer weather hits, I still crave my pasta, but I like it a little lighter. You can certainly make this dish with penne pasta if you like, but I prefer it with spaghetti. When I'm working with fewer ingredients I find they toss well with spaghetti. With heartier ingredients, they toss well with penne, in my opinion.

I love the freshness of this dish. The lemons, asparagus and fresh basil are a winning combo for sure. The pasta water is going to give us the creamy, salty component and the parmesan cheese lends us that cheesy flavor we're craving without feeling like a gut buster.

lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil: a very close look at our gourmet pasta dish

Cooking with Leftovers in Mind: Lemony Spaghetti Lunches

The recipe serves 4-6 and you can certainly stretch it a bit if you serve this with a side salad too. If you're cooking for fewer people, not to worry. Remember, I love cooking with leftovers in mind so I have built-in lunches for a couple of days. If you start to plan your meals and allow yourself to make more than you need, you will save money. Take your leftovers and do your meal prep. Pack 2-3 lunches in containers. When you're ready to reheat, add a splash of water, cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave.

Once your leftovers are heated, toss the pasta with a fork to re-constitute that sauce and you're good to go. Save you hard-earned money and don't waste it eating out lunch every day.

Easy Steps for Lemony Spaghetti with Asparagus and Basil:

lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil: cutting the asparagus at a diagonal angle — *chop the asparagus*

lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil close up look at finely diced garlic — *finely dice the garlic*

zest the lemons with a microplane shown on the left then juice lemons into a bowl on the right — *zest the lemon then juice the lemon*

clockwise from left: stack basil leaves on top of each other, then roll them then slice them — *stack basil leaves, roll them, slice into strips*

lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil: close up view of a handful of basil chiffonade — *handful of fresh basil*

overhead view of cooking the chopped asparagus and garlic in a saute pan — *saute asparagus and add garlic at end*

lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil: overhead view of all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl getting ready to mix everything together. — *throw everything in a bowl and mix well*

time to eat the bite! close up look at my tasting portion — *eat the bite*

Still Craving More Pasta: I Gotcha Covered:

Lemony Spaghetti with Asparagus and Basil

★★★★★

5 from 1 review

Author: Stacey
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4-6 portions 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Ready for a light pasta option for the summer months? Gotcha covered here with my lemony spaghetti with asparagus and basil.

Instructions

Fill a pot with water about ¾ of the way. I’m usually using a 4-quart pot. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water and heat until it comes to a boil. You must add salt to the water. We are using some of the pasta water later and we need it seasoned with that salt. While the water is heating you can do your prep.
Wash asparagus and trim a bit off the bottom. I usually cut the lights ends where it’s slightly purple. Cut the tips off first. Then, a few asparagus stalks at a time, cut at a diagonal angle in about one-inch pieces. Transfer to a pan with olive oil and set aside for now. (my video shows this well)
Zest your lemons so you have one tablespoon of zest total. I used a microplane, but you can use the finest side of a box grater too.
Juice those same lemons – we need 3 tablespoons for the recipe. If there is more keep it to the side and if you want to add more lemon juice later you can.
Finely dice the garlic. I usually slice it thin and then dice it down into smaller bits from there.
Stack the basil leaves on top of each other (start with the largest leaves). You can fit about 10 large leaves in one stack. Roll them up like a cigar, then run your knife across the basil creating thin strips. This is called a chiffonade cut. After you measure out your 1 cup, cut more for additional garnish. I like to serve extra basil on the side with this. TIP: to keep the basil fresh I wrap it in some damp paper towel while I finish my prep.
Once your water is boiling you can add the spaghetti and cook to package instructions.
Heat your asparagus pan on medium heat and toss it around the pan. It should take about 7-8 minutes to sauté the asparagus turning it throughout the process. I like mine al dente, but you can cook it a little longer if you like it softer. Poke with a fork until it has the tenderness you desire.
When the asparagus is just about done, add the garlic to the middle of the pan with a splash of olive oil and cook for about 30-60 seconds in center of pan. Then stir garlic and mix together with asparagus and cook another couple of minutes. You may need to turn the heat down slightly here so you don’t burn the garlic.
When the spaghetti is cooked – BEFORE YOUR DRAIN IT – carefully remove a ¼ cup of the pasta water. The pour spaghetti into a colander to drain the water.
ASSEMBLY: Get a large mixing bowl ready and add the cooked spaghetti to the bowl. Then add olive oil, the asparagus and garlic mixture, lemon zest (it tends to clump so spread it out), fresh lemon juice, grated shaker parmesan cheese, fresh basil, the salted pasta water, and regular hot tap water. Mix well with tongs and a large wooden spoon – or whatever two tools you have on hand. I usually need two tools!
Once the pasta is mixed it’s ready to serve. I like serving with fresh grated parmesan on top and red pepper flakes on the side. I also serve with a small bowl with the chopped lemon wedges and extra fresh basil.