Basil & Lemon Spicy Cashew Cream Pasta

It’s finally arrived in all it’s sunny glory…SUMMER! It’s the first weekend of June along the Jersey Shore and the salty sea air is buzzing with excitement and hunger as the fresh crops and crop tops of the season bloom.

With the summer sun comes an abundance of basil and fresh citrus. Keeping citrus (lemons, limes, oranges, etc) as a regular in your cucina adds zest to any dish or garnish to a perfect sunset margarita , however when paired with salty beach air, aromatic basil, a little garlic, spice and fresh cut pasta, it emulsifies into a whole lotta love.

Grab a beach chair, a refreshing drink and a few simple ingredients, and soak in the fresh flavors of this basil & lemon spicy cashew cream pasta!

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the sauce

• 1 lemon

• 3-4 gloves of garlic

• As much basil as your heart desires

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Handful of Spicy cashews

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta

• If using dry noodles - half a package

• Fresh pasta

  • 200 grams of semolina or 00 flour

  • 2 eggs

  • lil bit of olive oil
    

Sauce Instructions

• In a small pan, squeeze half a lemon, enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the pan, 3-4 cloves of garlic, a handful of the chili cashews and a few sprigs of basil. Once the ingredients are added, bring the heat to low. Let simmer on low until garlic is slightly brown, the cashews are soft and you can smell all the things.

  Do NOT heat the oil before adding the ingredients as it will burn them

• Once aromatic and the cashews are soft, transfer the garlic, nuts and oil to a food processor

Simmer cashews, garlic and aromatics in extra virgin olive oil

Add to the food processor :

• A handful or 2 of fresh basil (and a little parsley, mint or any other fresh herbs in bloom)

• The juice of the 2nd half of the lemon

• A few pours of extra virgin olive oil

• A hardy ladle of pasta water - this creates a nice silkiness to the sauce

Blend ingredients for sauce

Prepare the Pasta

• Dry - cook to instructions, once nearly cooked through add a ladle of the pasts water to the food processor for the sauce

• Fresh

  • Mix 200 grams of semolina or 00 flour (a small $10 kitchen scale helps) and 2 eggs. If using all-purpose you’ll want to use a bit more flour

  • Once rolled let sit for at least 30 minutes and use a pasta machine to stretch and cut the noodles (pasta specific making details will be provided separately)

  • Cook for 2 minutes and add ladle of pasta water to to the food processor for the sauce.

    Keep a little extra pasta water on the side in case you need to lengthen the sauce

Bring it all together!

• Add the blended sauce puree to the pan

• Drop in the pasta, mix in with the sauce and add additional pasta water as needed

• Plate, sprinkle with handy garnishes, breathe in the summer air, catch a sunset and bon appetito!