Ingredients
Scale
16 ounces of spaghetti
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup salted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
Juice and zest of one large lemon
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once it is boiling, add your spaghetti and cook al dente according to the package instructions.
- While your pasta cooks, prepare the ingredients for your cream sauce.
- When your noodles are cooked al dente, reserve a cup of pasta water and strain the noodles. Chill the noodles under cool water and toss in a bit of olive oil. Set aside.
- In the same pot, melt your butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Add the heavy cream and bring it to a light simmer. Cook it down for 4-5 minutes. Avoid burning or boiling the cream.
- Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water, parmesan cheese, red chili flakes, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine.
- Toss your noodles in the sauce and leave on the heat for 1-2 minutes, until the noodles are warm again. Use more reserved pasta water as needed to get your desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and add the basil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Garnish with more parmesan and fresh basil. For best results, serve immediately.