Lemon, Parsley & Parmesan Pasta

By gstark

Ingredients

• 2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves, packed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound trofie or other short, twisted pasta, such as fusilli
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

Make the pesto: In a food processor, pulse parsley, garlic, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt until coarsely chopped. With machine running, add oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until blended.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.

Toss pasta with pesto and Parmesan, then with reserved pasta water. Grate more lemon zest over each serving, and season with pepper.