Browned Butter Lemon Pasta - A 15 Minute Meal

Yesterday I posted an Authentic Italian Meat Spaghetti Sauce so today I wanted to post a vegetarian Italian pasta dish. Trust me though you don't need to be vegetarian to fully appreciate this pasta. 
I didn't know exactly what kind of pasta I wanted to make, and then I realized I had some lemons I needed to use up while they were still fresh. Also, browned butter is a great way to add flavor to simple dishes so I decided why not combine the lemon with some browned butter. They seem as though they were made to go together. The great thing about this pasta is that it's elegant, full of fresh flavor, incredibly simple and it can be made in 15 minutes. Have guests over and impress them with this delicious, flavorful pasta. No one needs to know how easy it was =). Enjoy!

Who knew almonds made such pretty little flowers...

Browned Butter Lemon Pasta
Yields about 3-4 servings


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 - 1 tsp lemon zest (use 1 for stronger lemon flavor)
2 Tbsp Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp lemon juice 
8 oz spaghetti noodles, uncooked
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 oz freshly, finely grated Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted if desired)


Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions listed on package. Meanwhile, brown butter in a small saucepan (for a tutorial on how to properly brown butter, see link here), set aside. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and lemon zest and saute until lightly golden. Stir in bread crumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until golden (they will toast quickly), remove from heat. Pour garlic mixture into brown butter mixture along with lemon juice, and whisk to combine. Once pasta has cooked through, drain well and return to pasta pot. Pour browned butter mixture over pasta, season with salt and pepper to taste (I'd recommend being somewhat generous with the pepper), add romano cheese, basil and almonds and toss mixture to evenly coat. Serve warm (note that the lemon flavors will tone down and blend in after pasta has rested just a few minutes). 


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy