Lemon Basil Pasta

Last week for Memorial Day I wanted to make a dinner for my family that was light and somewhat resembled something you might bring as a side dish at a Memorial Day picnic.  I immediately thought of some kind of pasta dish and looking through my Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook I found this awesome meal that would make a perfect Memorial Day dinner.  This meal is so delicious and easy to make, I will definitely be making it again sometime in the future.

This recipe is adapted from Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook.  For a family of four, I doubled this recipe and made a few minimal changes:

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I used slightly more)
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 4 tbsp capers (or more, if desired)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to the directions on the pasta.  One minute before the pasta is done, add the tomatoes to the cooking water and cook with the pasta to help them slightly soften.
2. Drain, and rinse pasta and tomatoes briefly with cool water so the pasta is warm.
3. Return the pasta to the pot and add the lemon juice, fresh basil, and capers.  Mix to combine. Serve warm or refrigerate and eat this chilled.

It is amazing how these flavors combine together with the pasta to create such an intense taste!