I needed a pasta to serve with the salmon that we grilled last night, and everything just seemed like we had already done it before. I remembered my sister talking about a lemon pasta that she made recently, and I decided to try my hand at making one up! It is almost like dressing the pasta with a vinaigrette, and it turns out light and citrusy. I think it was a nice compliment to the fish with the lemon and the herbs, and I loved the little cherry tomatoes, which are lightly warmed by the hot pasta, and lend little bursts of sweetness.

Lemony Spaghetti, serves 8

2 large cloves garlic, (briefly boiled in the pasta water)
1 cup fresh lemon juice (4-5 large lemons), plus
all of the lemon zest from those lemons
½ cup olive oil
Large pinch of salt
Fresh black pepper
1pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup freshly chopped parsley
1/3 cup freshly chopped chives
½ cup freshly chopped basil
Garnish with fresh chive blossoms if available

2lbs spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Briefly boil the garlic cloves in the pasta water, before mincing them. The water will take some of the sharp, raw flavor from the garlic.

Put the spaghetti in the water, and cook until al dente.

In the mean time, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice and zest and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In the bottom of your serving bowl, put the cherry tomatoes.
When the Pasta is done, instead of draining it, pull it out with tongs, and place it directly onto the tomatoes. This should get plenty of the cooking liquid in with the pasta.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and add the cheese and fresh herbs. Toss to coat the pasta and bring some of the tomatoes to the top of the bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and if needed another squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately!