Lemon Basil Linguine

Organic millet pasta drenched in zesty, lemony, creamy sauce with no dairy. The secret? Pasta water! Learn how to make this summer pasta dish.

This zesty lemon basil linguine pasta dish will have you dancing in the summer streets. It gets its creaminess from, not dairy, but pasta water. And the marriage between lemon and basil will have you screaming HOLY MATRIMONY! Let's make this perfectly plated pasta.

Pasta Water Makes Dairy Free Pasta CREAMY

Have you ever eaten pasta dishes like carbonara at a gourmet Italian restaurant and marveled at the creaminess of the sauce – then the server tells you there's no cream? How is that possible? The answer is PASTA WATER! I've been using pasta water in my dairy-free pasta dishes for years. Game changer! The starch and salt in the pasta water give a flavorful creaminess to your pasta dishes without the cream. I almost never have to add more salt, but you can if needed.

A1 vs. A2 Dairy and Why it Matters

When we are trying to avoid the lectin-like casein in a1 dairy, pasta water can be a big help. The a1 casein in most commercial dairy products can create gastric discomfort that leads to inflammatory responses in our bodies. In a human study on Chinese men, dairy made from a2/a2 cows was much more tolerable. But, if you're like me and have a psoriatic condition, avoiding dairy altogether is best. That's where pasta water comes in handy for giving sauces a certain creaminess without the dairy.

Lectin Free Linguine Cooks up al Dente

For this "creamy" lemon basil linguine dish we use lectin free pasta by our friends at Big Green Organic. IT'S THE BEST! The one-ingredient, organic millet linguine is my choice for this recipe. You can find it on Amazon or directly from Big Green online.

Now, let's make this delicious summer pasta together. LET'S GO!

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LFG Lemon Basil Linguine

The Recipe

(makes two entrees or 4 sides)

4 Cups Water

1 Tablespoon Sea Salt (and extra to taste)

(1) 8.8 oz Box Big Green Organic Millet Linguine

1 Cup Pasta Water (reserved after boiling)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Zest of 1 Lemon

Juice of 1 Lemon

2-3 Fresh Basil Leaves (sliced into thin ribbons)

Step 1: Boil Pasta

In a large saucepan or stock pot, ADD water and bring to a rolling boil. ADD sea salt. DROP IN pasta. STIR occasionally for 9-11 minutes until pasta is al dente.

Step 2: Reserve Pasta Water

Before draining pasta, SCOOP 1 cup of pasta water into a bowl. SET aside. DRAIN remaining water from pasta through a colander. SET drained pasta aside.

Step 3: Toss Pasta in Sauce

In a large skillet, ADD olive oil. HEAT on medium flame until oil is less viscous and swirls freely around pan. DUMP drained pasta into heated oil. ADD about half of the reserved pasta water. ADD lemon zest and juice. With tongs, turn the pasta in the lemon sauce to coat. ADD more olive oil and pasta water if needed. The pasta sauce should be creamy and plentiful. Taste the dish and add more sea salt if necessary.

Step 4: Plate and Garnish

With tongs, pick up a generous portion of coated pasta and swirl into a pile on the center of two pasta plates. SPOON any remaining sauce into the plates to create a moat around the pasta. Roll the fresh basil leaves tightly from side-to-side. SLICE thinly from the tip to the base with a very sharp knife. This technique is called "chiffonade" and will result in perfect basil "ribbons" for garnishing. SPRINKLE basil ribbons over pasta.

Grate a little fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano (PR), optional, on top. Only authentic PR will do as it is made from a2 dairy cows.

ENJOY!