You know those occasions when you’re sort of hungry but can’t stand the idea of eating something heavy and really prefer a refreshing soup, a juicy salad or anything else fresh and light? This dish definitely falls under that category – it’s vibrant, healthy and all about keeping it simple.
You’ll need:
♥ Whole grain pasta (I used pennes, but spaghetti works even better)
♥ 2 lemons
♥ 1-2 chili pods
♥ 5 cloves of garlic
♥ Cherry tomatoes
♥ Fresh basil
♥ Freshly grated parmesan
♥ A generous amount (1-1,5 dl) of olive oil
♥ Salt, pepper and a teaspoon of honey for seasoning
If you like, you can pan-fry two chicken fillets like I did for some extra nutritional value. The pasta doesn’t need it, though!
Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packaging. Take a medium-sized saucepan and heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add your chopped garlic and chili (remove the seeds), fry off and then add the zest of your two lemons. Allow the olive oil to infuse with all the beautiful flavors (keep an eye on the heat, you don’t want the garlic to be burnt and develop a bitter taste), then add halved cherry tomatoes, toss around in the oil and allow to cook through. Then add a handful of basil (chopped) and then add the cooked pasta into the saucepan. Squeeze in a spoonful of lemon juice (you can add more depending on the sweetness of the lemons; the dish should taste beautifully lemony, but you don’t want it to be sour), season with honey, salt & pepper. Serve with a generous amount of grated parmesan, some basil and if you prefer your food hot, just slice up a chili pod and use as a garnish. I did, it was beautiful! 
Can you smell it through your computer screen? Freshly chopped garlic, chili and beautifully fragrant lemon zest. Heavenly!
If cooking this pasta dish took you longer than 20 minutes, you were working too hard!
Bon appétit, sweet cheeks!
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