lemon linguini

This is a simple and zippy pasta main dish.  It is adapted from Susan Branch’s delightful, THE SUMMER BOOK cookbook. Are you familiar with her?

She is creative, inspiring, nostalgic and fun.  Before I had an internet full of blogs to look at for inspiration and to get my creative juices flowing, Susan Branch did it for me, through her books and calendars.  She has handwritten ideas and quotes and sayings and adorable illustrations and detail-work.    

I love the art and beauty of handwriting and I love to hand write things. In fact, having to blog in typeset is really disappointing to me, because I would so much rather it be in handwriting.  That is much more my style.

I have always looked closely at Susan Branch’s books to try to discern if she really writes each word by hand or if her handwriting is a font.  The moment I think, “this is too perfect, it has to be a font” I see a slight variance in the letters from one sentence to the next, which then leads me to believe that she actually does hand write each piece.  She says she does! Her watercolor whimsy, illustrations and borders are sweet and quaint and endearing.

This book, from 1995, has been a go-to book.  The pages are warped and stained from splashes of ingredients as it was sitting opened on my recipe stand in my kitchen for years.  I made my first Bruschetta from this cookbook.  This lemon linguini, and a wonderful pineapple salsa, to serve on top of grilled meat, are favorites of mine from this cookbook.

One of my greatest pleasures is connecting people I love with other people or things that I love.  You know... sharing the joy!  Well, with this recipe, I like to connect Susan Branch to Ina Garten.  I think they should be friends (for all I know they play bridge in Martha’s Vineyard every Thursday evening). I think they are both fabulous, in their own, very authentic way. They have each been influential in my life and my kitchen.  I love Ina’s lemon grilled chicken and I love Susan’s lemon linguini. I think the two together make a dynamic pair.

We had it this week and mmm, it is so good.  I made a vat of it and we devoured it.

Lemon Linguini (adapted from Susan Branch)

1 lb. linguini

½ cup olive oil

zest from 1 lemon

juice from 2 lemons

½ cup chopped purple onion or green onion- you choose

lots of parmesan cheese

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

and whatever accompaniments you'd like:
Sauteed shrimp
or grilled chicken strips

Asparagus spears
or Roasted green beans
chopped tomatoes
toasted pine nuts
fresh parsley or basil
or whatever you like or have on hand!

Cook linguini in boiling salted water till done; drain well. Meanwhile, combine next 4 ingredients in a large serving bowl.  Add pasta & toss well.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper- toss in Parmesan to taste.  Top with additional ingredients of your choice.  Add more Parmesan!

This week we added Ina's grilled lemon chicken tenders, roasted asparagus, chopped tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts.  I would highly recommend this combination!

[for directions on roasting asparagus click here]

Grilled Lemon Chicken (adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (or from a bottle..don't tell Ina)

3/4 cup olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (I omit sometimes
              for kids)

2 pounds boneless chicken tenderloins (or breasts)

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.  Pour over chicken in a nonreactive bowl.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but can marinate overnight.  Heat grill and cook over medium heat until cooked through.

Buy some lemons, put them in a dish and set them on the counter- they might inspire you to whip up some of this zesty pasta and chicken this week!