My favortie night of the week!

Pasta night!! So excited to cook tonight, since we have been eating leftover chili and broccoli soup for a few days. Tonight, I made Lemon Basil Bowties. I have made this meal several times, and I forget how good it is every time. It is from Rachel Ray, so it is quick and simple. I love the fresh taste of the lemon and basil...very summery. And since we have a predicted 4-6 inches of snowfall tonight(I'll believe it when I see it), I could use a little taste of summer! I hope yall enjoy this as much as we do.

Lemon Basil Bowties

Rachel Ray

1 lb bowtie pasta (I use Barrilla plus because it has protein, fiber, and omega-3's)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup pine nuts
1 and 1/2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (Low fat or fat free)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
zest of two lemons
salt

Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of salted water. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl. Toss pasta with olive oil. Add nuts, cheese, basil, and lemon zest and toss. Season with salt to taste.

This is a great recipe to "use up" any extras you may have, or make substitutions to suit your tastes. Play around with it and see what you come up with....and let me know if you discover something yummy! You could do so many fun things: feta, walnuts, thyme, goat cheese, butternut squash, orange zest...I'm hungry again! Stay warm, yall!