Pasta with White Wine, Lemon, Basil and Tomato

 

The basil plants are definitely done for the year. They survived a couple of light frosts a week or two ago but have simply been neglected lately.  I did manage to get in one last taste of the fresh basil in one of my favourite pasta dishes not long ago.  This light and summery pasta was perfect during this recent bout of warm weather we’ve been having.  And I suspect it’s the last of the tomatoes as well, although I have a single cherry tomato plant that continues to offer a few gems every day or two.

A friend way back in my Vancouver days made a similar pasta dish for a few friends and I remember thinking how delicious and fresh-tasting it was.  And that was with store-bought tomatoes and basil … it is taken to a whole new level with produce straight from your backyard.

Her version had angel hair pasta which is great with such a delicate sauce.  I prefer spaghetti, and I’ve added lemon zest and likely a lot more garlic.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti

3 large garlic cloves, minced

½ cup white wine

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1 fresh large tomato, diced

Basil leaves, at least 1 cup loosely packed

Parmesan cheese, grated

The dish comes together very quickly.  Start your pasta water boiling, and once the pasta has been added, then start the sauce.  

Heat a large sauté pan and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  Add garlic and sauté very briefly.  You do not want it to colour at all, so after just a minute or two, add in the white wine.  Allow to cook down to about half its volume, then add the lemon juice and zest.  At this point, just let it simmer away for a few minutes while waiting for the pasta.

When pasta is ready, add to the pan along with the diced tomato and basil leaves.  If needed (to be sure you have enough sauce) add some pasta liquid.  Add S&P and toss to mix it together.  Sprinkle in a handful or two of parmesan cheese to taste.  Serve immediately.