Light Lemon Pasta - Recipe
So you’re trying to lose weight and determined to eat healthily? Well, that doesn’t mean that you have to live on salad and give up pasta. Italian cuisine can be light and healthy, as well as delicious – and, if you choose your sauces carefully, can play an important part in any weight loss regime. And a warming bowl of pasta will ensure that you don’t feel hungry either.
This recipe for lemon pasta is not just fresh and light, it’s also extremely easy to make. And if there’s any left over, it’s good cold – mixed into a large green salad. This recipe uses tagliatelle, those long thin ribbons of pasta. But if you prefer you can use spaghetti or linguine.
Ingredients for Light Lemon Pasta (serves 4)
- 400g (14oz) dried tagliatelle
- Juice and finely grated zest of one large lemon (unwaxed) - the zest is optional
- 2 cloves of garlic – crushed or finely chopped (optional)
- 2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- approx 50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few fresh basil leaves, torn
Method
- Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil. When it’s boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
- While the pasta is cooking, take a bowl and mix the olive oil with the garlic (if you’re using it).
- When the pasta is cooked – it should be al dente, firm to the bite – drain it. Lower the heat, return the pasta to the pan. Now stir in the olive oil and the lemon juice/zest. Then stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and the ground black pepper.
- After 1 minute or so, remove the pan from the heat. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, perhaps with a little more freshly grated Parmesan on top, and the fresh basil leaves.
This light lemon pasta is delicious with a large, crisp green salad or some fresh broccoli.
To make it even lighter, use only small amounts of olive oil and Parmesan cheese. And instead cook some fresh or frozen peas, and maybe some broad beans, while the pasta is bubbling away. They won’t take long and when they’re ready, drain them and stir them into the pasta with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic (if you’ve used it) and Parmesan.
If you’re trying to eat more fibre, then you can always used a wholewheat or spelt pasta. And if you need to cut out wheat from your diet, there are now plenty of wheat free dried pastas available. If you want a healthy diet it doesn’t mean you can’t eat delicious food.
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