Jamie Oliver's Summer Tagliatelle With Parsley and Pine Nuts Recipe

If Jamie Oliver is good for anything, it's quick, surprisingly flavorful pasta recipes. The man seems to have an endless trove of pastas that can come together in the time it takes the water to boil. When I found this recipe in his ambitious book Cook with Jamie, in which he insisted that "everyone should make this at least once," I was sold immediately.

Why I Picked This Recipe: While I've found plenty of recipes in the past that offer variations on pesto—that famous Italian sauce of basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil—this recipe is in the same spirit but decidedly different. First, parsley is the herb instead of basil. But more importantly, rather than blending all the ingredients into something homogeneous, Jamie calls for mincing the parsley by hand and bashing only half the pine nuts to a paste, then loosening it all with good olive oil. It keeps things rustic and light, and I liked the handmade feel to the dish.

What Worked: The flavors came through wonderfully, with the somewhat aggressive flavor of parsley muted by rich pine nuts and olive oil. The addition of lemon juice and zest added a zippy flavor that elevated the dish significantly. But perhaps my favorite part was the eating experience: because it wasn't blended, the "pesto" broke up into bites of pine nuts coated with fragrant parsley and pecorino scattered throughout the plate, while the olive oil, mashed pine nuts, and pasta cooking water created a luxurious sauce for the noodles. Each bite was different and interesting.

What Didn't: I felt there was too much cheese called for in the recipe, which killed a bit of that lightness. I've lowered the amount in the recipe below to bring it back into balance.

Suggested Tweaks: Besides using less cheese, I would also be cautious with the amount of lemon juice. I began with half the amount called for, and added in just a little bit more. The general idea with a recipe like this is to taste constantly, aiming for balance of richness, acidity, salty, and herbiness. But keep in mind that the heat of the pasta will mute the lemon. Finally, use plenty of pasta water until the sauce is truly luxurious; don't let it get too dry.

Adapted from Cook with Jamie.