This Was Too Simple

After months of chasing down recipes for my Monday night meals that were too complicated, used ingredients I couldn't find (polenta??) or made sticky creamy messes that were too rich, I made a meal this last Monday that was entirely too simple.

It was Ina Garten's lemon capellini and I thought there must be some mistake -- the recipe listed almost no ingredients.

Jenna Urben for Taste of Home

All the recipe called for was:

Pasta (I used spaghetti, it's thicker than capellini but worked fine)

Lemons (zest and juice)

Garlic (in butter and olive oil)

Salt / Lots of black pepper

Torn basil leaves or cilantro (I only had parsley, which was okay.) 

Jenna Urben for Taste of Home

That was it. How could that make an interesting dish? Reader, I cannot tell you how delightfully zesty, tasty, sparkling and filling it was. I pan seared some pork sausage brats on a griddle on the stove, and steamed some peas, and this was a meal I would repeat.

It was so good.

I have no pictures because we ate it all up before I could get the camera phone out. (And plain white spaghetti with big brown brats do not photograph like the bright starlets they are). 

The wine was a crisp Cabernet Sauvignon. Dessert was cherry vanilla ice cream.

It was all way too simple, way too good, and way too satisfying to make. Yum.