Delicious Lemon Rotini

Tonight Cael and I are having dinner with his family. Since I'm the only vegetarian, I am in charge of making myself something tasty. I decided to try out a new recipe that I found on a forum (thanks Ashley!). This recipe originally called for spaghetti, but I had a half-finished box of veggie rotini on hand, so I cooked it up instead. It calls for lots of fresh parmesano reggiano, lemon, black pepper, and loads of garlic. I tweaked it a bit to my tastes, and voila, a quick, super yummy dinner!

Here is the original recipe in case you're interested:

Lemon Spaghetti - this is one of my all-time favorite dishes

Salt
Pound of spaghetti
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic cloves - chopped (I use 4, but you can adjust)
1 teasp. red pepper flakes (you can use a little less)
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
1 cup (or so) heavy cream
1 cup of parmigiano reggiano (domestic parm works here too)
Italian parsley

Boil water. Salt. Add spaghetti.

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

After a few minutes add the lemon juice, a ladle of the pasta cooking water and the heavy cream to the pan. Bring to a bubble.

Drain pasta when al dente.

Add lemon zest and half the cheese to the cream sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to the pan and toss. Transfer to a platter and top with more cheese, parsley and even basil if you desire.