A Favorite Grows Up

As a kid, there was nothing more comforting, not to mention yummy, than pasta with butter and cheese. In an Italian family there is always plenty of good-smelling food bubbling on the stovetop or in the oven, but sometimes kids want something simple and known. On such days I felt like the luckiest kid around when I was allowed to eat pasta dressed with butter and freshly grated cheese. Even though my childhood days are a little farther behind me than I'm entirely happy to admit, I still find comfort in a hearty bowl of simple. That's why I was delighted as I thumbed through my newest cookbook, Bountiful, and came across a recipe for Lemon and Cream Spaghetti. While it is still ridiculously simple, it adds a bit of sophistication to my old favorite. The sauce is simply olive oil, white wine and heavy cream gently simmered and then mixed with hot spaghetti, fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and freshly grated Locatelli cheese. How could any of that disappoint? Let me tell you that it did not. To make myself feel just a bit more decadent I added in a lobster tail. Why not? If you have to be grown up, may as well go with gusto!

Snap the center of the lobster shell, loosen the meat from the shell and season it as you like. Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 1 1/2 minutes for every ounce of lobster meat. 

A glass of white wine rounded out my meal.

To check out more about Bountiful or its authors, Todd Porter and Diane Cu, check out their blog at WhiteOnRiceCouple.com.