I stumbled upon this recipe about six months ago, and it’s become one of my favorites because it’s ridiculously easy and very filling.  Two of the tastiest things I can think of are heavy cream and tomatoes—throw in lemon and spinach, and my world is pretty much rocked.  This should be made with fusili, not elbow macaroni, but in all honesty I’ve used just about every kind of noodle available and it always turns out just fine.  This recipe comes from the fabulous Ina Garten via The Dreamy Dish.

lemon macaroni just doesn't have the same ring to it

To make this, you’ll need:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
• 2 C heavy cream
• 2 lemons
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• spinach roughly chopped, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved if you like

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Next, add the cream, zest from 2 lemons, juice of 2 lemons, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.If you want to keep the cream from curdling, use really fresh cream and add the lemon juice slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon. Don’t worry if it does curdle, if you keep stirring and will become smooth and again.

While the sauce is cooking, cook and drain the pasta, returning it to the large pot you cooked it in.  Pour in the sauce and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, which will help the pasta absorb the sauce. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, and add the spinach, Parmesan, and tomatoes and toss.  When I’m lazy or don’t have guests over, I just add the spinach, Parmesan, and tomatoes to the cooking pot to cut down on dishes and because there’s no one to impress.

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