There’s a very specific kind of evening that shows up all the time. You’re home. Not completely exhausted, but definitely not in the mood to cook something ambitious. The fridge is kind of empty, or at least it feels that way. And anything that takes more than 15 minutes is immediately out of the question.
That’s when I make the same thing. Every time. A lemon pasta is my every day solution. It’s not something I plan. It’s more like one of those things you just fall back on without thinking too much about it
You’ll need:
Spaghetti (or whatever you have)
1 lemon
Butter or olive oil
Parmesan (or something similar)
Garlic (if you can be bothered)
Black pepper
How to make it:
Cook the pasta. Save a bit of the pasta water before draining.
Melt butter or heat olive oil in a pan. Add lemon zest and a bit of lemon juice. Pour in a splash of the pasta water.
Add the pasta straight into the pan. Toss it around. Add grated parmesan and black pepper. Taste and adjust.
If you have spinach, you can throw in a handful at the end. It doesn’t change much, but it kind of makes it feel like you had a plan.
It’s almost ridiculously simple.
Which is exactly why it works..
I think people overestimate what it takes for a dinner to feel “proper”. In reality, it’s usually things like this – something quick, low effort, but still not a last resort.
This is one of those.
