Lemon Spaghetti

Good ole' Rachel Ray. I made this a long time ago at home when mom and dad went out one night. As I remember I burned the garlic which didn't taste too good. Now this time was a different story. It was so quick and easy (as long as you do all the prep first) and Tom said it was something you would be happy to get in a restaurant. I also got 2 chicken breasts and used a hammer (seriously) to flatten them. I then dredged the pieces in flour, salt and pepper and fried them in olive oil for about 4 minutes on either side. I let the chicken rest while I made the pasta and then put the chicken slices on top.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drop the spaghetti into the pot.

Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.

Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce.

Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.