A gorgeous, light, creamy and tangy vegetarian pasta dish.
Serves 2 as a main course
1 tsp Meyer lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
Juice from 1 Meyer lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 tsp salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 lb spaghetti
5 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
Bring a pot of water to the boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat 2 minutes before you would normally remove it.
Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Return the pasta to the pot and set the pot over low heat. Stir in the mascarpone sauce. Add the spinach and toss so that the spinach begins to wilt. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water (more if you need) to keep the sauce fluid but not too watery.
Continue to cook and toss until the spinach is cooked. Add the hazelnuts and stir to combine.
Serve immediately