If there was a sauce war, I would definitely find myself in the lemon cream sauce camp. Nothing is more fresh than citrus, and nothing in citrus is more fresh than lemon. Unfortunately on Sunday night I was without cream to make the sauce for this pasta, so I improvised with something light and sweet that complimented the earthy sweetness of the artichoke hearts.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 box whole wheat pasta of your choice (sorry this isn’t more precise,
I forgot to measure) - 8 ounces jarred halved artichokes
- 2 tbsp freshly cut oregano
- 1 tsp freshly cut parsley
- 1 tsp freshly cut basil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup black or green olives, halved
- Parmesan to taste
- Pinch of sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Fresh herbs already from our garden!
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil Add salt, and cook until pasta is al dente.
2. Slice artichokes into pieces and put them in bowl. Add lemon zest and juice, and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add olive oil, parsley, oregano and basil and fold together and coat thoroughly.
3. When pasta is cooked, drain and add to bowl with other ingredients. Toss add additional olive oil if necessary and top with freshly grated parmesan and additional fresh parsley or mint.
It’s just that easy. So quick and easy that its perfect for a swift weeknight dinner, or a dish for a party. You can’t go wrong with it and it’s completely adaptable (pretty much like everything we make right?). I think it would taste amazing with some added freshly bell peppers, edamame, or grilled chicken. The more I cook, the more I find that with a few base recipe memorizations you can pretty much go to the moon and back with options and ways to change it up? Do you have a favorite staple or base recipe?
I have everything to make this at home. Maybe it will be dinner tonight. Thanks!
In the sauce war, I’d have to be a red sauce. I just love red sauce, but we can still be friends! It’ll be our lil secret! This recipe looks perfect for Spring time. Love it!
I love red sauce too, and I don’t know if you’re like me, but it’s almost completely reserved for winter meals. I rarely eat red pasta sauces in the summer. I’ve made pasta with fresh tomatoes in summer, but never a red sauce. I’m weird that way.
This pasta looks yummy! If I could make a really good red sauce, I would be on the red side. I think that the restaurants (e.g. Spaghetti Factory) must add a lot of butter to make it taste so good. I have bookmarked this recipe to try. Thanks. Joni
I am always throwing together sauces like this. I love tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms…or tomatoes and black olives…or green olives…or all of the above at once! And always with lemon and garlic and basil. Out of this world!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Looks Awesome!
I love lemons, artichokes, and oilives, so I need to make this!
Olive oil is very tasty and has some nutty taste too.~*,
You have a terrific blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my blog?