Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce

I threw this together when I was looking for something to serve alongside some delicious grilled salmon last week, and it was perfect.  The leftovers have subsequently been terrific, and I revived them with a little lemon zest stirred in before handing the whole thing over to Chef Mike(rowave).  The heavy cream is necessary to prevent curdling--if you use anything lighter, your sauce will look more like cottage cheese than sauce. However, if you must substitute something lighter and/or non-dairy, be sure to heat it very slowly on a low temperature, and when it begins to separate, vigorously whisk in about a tablespoon of flour and it should be alright.

This can easily become a meal with some grilled shrimp, toasted chickpeas, or just a healthy helping of steamed veggies.

Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce

Serves 6 as a side, 3-4 as a meal

1 garlic clove, minced
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¾ pound linguine
Salt and black pepper
 ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the cream, stock, lemon juice, and garlic on low and simmer, uncovered, for fifteen  minutes.  Add salt and generous amounts of black pepper to taste.

When pasta is done and draining, stir herbs into lemon sauce and allow to wilt slightly.

In a serving bowl, toss the pasta with the grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.  Pour sauce over the top and toss again.