A superbe all in one meal, or side dish to your favorite fish.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) bag pasta.  We love Semolina Pasta's Bucatini if you are in the area. 
• 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone
• 1 Tbsp Beyond the Olive Arbequina extra virgin olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsps vodka (or limoncello)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Grated Parmigiano, Tuscan Pepper Cheese for garnish

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a medium saucepan, warm the mascarpone with the olive oil, lemon juice and vodka. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss the pasta with the fresh basil and lemon zest. Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan, and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning and serve.

When you need the zest and juice of a lemon, always zest first, and juice second. So much easier to get the zest off of the intact lemon, instead of trying to zest the two halves.

Recipes Copyright © Cherie Mercer Twohy and Ulysses Press. All rights reserved. www.chezcherie.com