pasta with lemon, parsley and parmesan

I'm working from home today. I'm sitting on the sofa wearing jeans, a white top and a cardigan.

The sun may be shining outside, for now at least, but my toes are cold. There's a definite breeze coming through the decaying Victorian window frames. It could be any day of the year. 

The rest of the time, I work in an air conditioned office. It's almost always the same temperature (which is cold). The seasons only really affect me for the ten minutes I spend each morning walking to the tube before disappearing underground where it is always hot.

I feel like I could just blink and miss the summer.

The long summers of my childhood, the days of dancing through sprinklers and eating ice creams in the park, are long gone. I have to search out summer now and mark it in my own way. And naturally, my own way involves food.

This really tastes like summer. A few weeks ago, I hosted a small party for some of my dearest friends. The food was simplicity itself, nothing more than roast chicken, some small roasted new potatoes and a salad. What was a revelation, however, was this lemon, parsley and parmesan sauce. The sharpness of the lemon, the saltiness of the parmesan, the freshness of the parsley. It was the perfect complement, so bright and full of flavour.

The next day, I stirred the leftover sauce through some pasta to make a quick lunch. It was just as light and bright and wonderful. In fact, I made another batch so that I could eat it for lunch every day for a week.

~

Pasta with lemon, parsley and parmesan

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, January 2012

Yield: Serves 4 with pasta

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 bunches (1/2 cup) flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• Juice and zest of 2 lemons
• 60g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan
• 110ml (just under 1/2 cup) olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Pasta, to serve

Cooking Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process in short bursts until everything is combined. Taste the sauce and add a little more of anything as you see fit.
2. Stir through pasta immediately or store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.