Cooking that’s almost not cooking, but also not takeout: Lemon Parsley Pasta

Lemon Parsley Pasta is a satisfying, summery vegetarian meal that’s ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Recipe below.

WE JUST GOT BACK FROM A SIX-DAY ROAD TRIP. We ate lots of amazing food—chef-driven Oaxacan small plates, hearty shepherd’s pie from a Brit pub in Duluth and wonderfully sweet, tart strawberry rhubarb crumble made by our friend Carmen in Minneapolis. (“You can’t leave Minnesota without eating strawberry rhubarb crumble,” Carmen told us, and we think she was right.) What we did not eat is anything cooked by us.

Now back home, we’ve been busy and not really in the mood to cook. But we also haven’t been in the mood for more restaurant food. Of course, we’ve all been in this situation, road trip or no—not feeling like cooking, but not up for even fast takeout.

Lemon Parsley Pasta is the perfect dish for this moment. It is faster and easier than drive thru—boil pasta in a pot, cook garlic and crushed red pepper for about a minute in skillet, then toss the cooked pasta and a couple other ingredients into the skillet and done. It’s healthier than most dine out/takeout options too.

Best of all, it is delicious. Lemony brightness and the satisfying umami hit of Parmesan, along with the peppery freshness of parsley, just a touch of garlic and the mild heat of the crushed red pepper (in the recipe, we say the red pepper is optional, but it really livens up the dish). Lemon Parsley Pasta is a light, summery, vegetarian meal, perfect for when you’re barely in the mood to cook.

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Lemon Parsley Pasta

A satisfying, summery vegetarian meal that's ready in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 as a main course

Ingredients

• 8 ounces linguine or other long pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional, but a good idea)
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Start a pot of salted water and cook pasta according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium flame. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning or browning. Turn off heat under pan.
• When pasta is cooked, drain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water, and add pasta to the skillet with garlic and crushed red pepper. Turn on heat again to medium and add lemon juice and zest, and parsley to the pan. Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper, and toss everything to combine. Add about 1/4 cup pasta water to the pan and toss. If the pasta looks dry, add a little more pasta water.
• Serve in shallow pasta bowls and generously top with grated Parmesan.