Parsley Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fettuccini
• 1 bunch Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Wash the parsley thoroughly, then shake away as much moisture as you can. Pull the leaves off the stems and drop the leaves into a food processor. Add the peeled garlic, parmesan cheese, and lemon juice, then pulse until the garlic is broken down and you no longer see big pieces.
2. With the food processor still pulsing, drizzle the olive oil in through the lid’s feed tube. Stop and scrape the bowl when you need to, then keep pulsing until the pesto is smooth. Taste it and season with salt; 1/4 teaspoon is the amount here. It should lean a little saltier than seems right, because the pasta will stretch it across every strand.
3. Cook the pasta following the package instructions; you can do this while the pesto is coming together. Before you drain it, scoop out about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta, let it sit until it has cooled slightly, about 5 minutes, and put it back in the pot. Spoon in the pesto and stir until the noodles are coated. If things start looking dry, tight, or sticky, splash in a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen everything. Serve warm.