One of the easiest pasta dishes you’ll ever make, this is great as a light meal or as a side dish, especially for grilled fish.

　　

Ingredients

4 main-course servings or 6 side-dish servings

　　2/3 cup olive oil

　　2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)

　　3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

　　1 pound dried spaghetti

　　1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

　　1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)

　　

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to blend. Set the lemon sauce aside. (The sauce can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the spaghetti 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. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowls and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.