Pasta Again?

I have to admit, as a vegetarian since the age of 13 (that's 22 years), I have eaten a lot of pasta. So much so that I almost quit eating it all together for awhile. But, I have a friend whose husband is from Italy, she met him while studying art in Italy (awwww, so romantic), anyway, she reheated some leftover pasta for me for lunch once, and I realized how good it can be when cooked properly. I had gotten sick of trying a pasta recipe that seemed to have yummy ingredients but then it was flavorless. Hers was sooooooo good, using very simple, yet fresh ingredients. Anyway, this is not her recipe, in fact, I am not sure how "authentic" it is, but it is really good. It comes from good 'ol Martha, who does have some hit and misses on her food site, but this is a winner... Now off to ask my friend for her favorite recipe, which I will post here soon...

Spaghetti with Garlic and Chili
From the MARTHA STEWART website

Ingredients

Serves 4

* 1 pound spaghetti
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1 small red chile pepper, halved, or pinch of crushed red-pepper flakes
* Zest of 1 lemon
* 1 lemon, halved
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving *(Don't use for a vegan meal)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt water and return to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook, according to package directions, until al dente.
2. Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/2 cup pasta-cooking liquid, and return pot to stove. Add olive oil, garlic, and chile or red-pepper flakes; cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, 3 to 4 minutes. Add spaghetti and stir to coat. Add zest, lemon juice, basil, and reserved cooking liquid, if desired. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
3. Remove garlic and chile pepper, if using, and discard. Divide pasta evenly between 4 serving plates; serve immediately with cheese and drizzle with olive oil, if desired.