Lemon and parmesan spaghetti

Hello everyone, I've had a very quiet week due to a very bad cold, so that has meant more time to cook and eat at home! (And read cook books and drool over various sweet delights). One night this week I made this delicious pasta dish from my Marie-Claire Comfort book. It was quite perfect - I could have eaten double the quantity it was so good! It really is best with a thin pasta like spaghetti or spaghettini, and if you can get your hands on a good quality fresh pasta even better. I usually use Pasta Vera products which I buy from Harris Farm Markets, their pasta is better than any other brand I have tried.

Have a lovely week. Love from Jane xx

Lemon and parmesan spaghetti

Serves four

What you need:

• Grated and finely chopped zest and juice of 2 lemons (do the zesting before you juice, it will be a LOT easier)
• 400g spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 rinsed and finely sliced leeks
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons rinsed and drained small salted capers (optional - I left them out but you might like them)
• 1 handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch chives, finely snipped
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

What you do:

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add half the lemon juice.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
4. Add the garlic and the leeks and saute until the leeks are transparent.
5. Season with the black pepper.
6. Stir the cooked spaghetti into the leeks and add the lemon zest, remaining juice, capers, parsley and chives, stirring everything together gently.
7. Divide among four warmed pasta bowls and sprinkle with the cheese.