Gimme Some Oven

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds

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Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds.

I’ve been back on a Project Runway kick lately, catching up on old seasons while I work out.

And oh my goodness, I forgot how much I freaking love that show!

I like to think that’s because I grew up in a home where sewing is the family business (my mom is a cross-stitch designer). But let’s be honest, I haven’t picked up a needle and thread to sew anything other than a button in decades. ;)

Still, I am absolutely fascinated by these designers, and think that everything they accomplish is beyond impressive. I mean, it’s one thing to be able to come up with a creative and awesome idea for a design. But to have the skills to actually be able to execute that design undoubtedly comes from years (and years and years) of study and practice, and challenges a totally different part of the brain. Not to mention having that these designers are forced to whip something up in usually about 24 hours (crazy!), and do so in the midst of a little workroom drama (although I like that the show has evolved to be more about the craft and less about that), and of course, all with the looming fear of Nina possibly calling all of your hard work “mumsy” or (gasp! the worst!) “matronly”.

Ahhhh, Project Runway, how I’ve missed you.

Anyway, the good thing about getting behind on a few seasons is that I’ve had dozens of episodes stored up to watch this summer during my workouts. And I must say, having a good show cued up is always a good incentive for me to make time to exercise each day. So after elliptical-ing my heart out yesterday while watching the designers make clothes using paintball paint, I made another batch of one of my latest favorite pasta dishes for a protein-packed late lunch — this Lemon Basil Pasta with Almonds.

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

This recipe is yet another random one I dreamed up recently, while trying to use up some extra lemon and basil in the fridge. But then for something different, I decided to toast and chop up a ton of almonds to add in there for some extra protein. And oh my goodness — why had I never tried this almond thing earlier?! They’re delicious in pasta!!

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

Just toast a bunch of them up. (I used Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almonds, which are plain and simple and delicious.

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

Then, while your pasta is cooking, saute some garlic in olive oil. Then stir in those almonds and some lemon juice.Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

Then add that mixture to your pasta, along with a big handful of chopped (or julienned) fresh basil leaves.
Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

Give it a good toss.

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

And then? Dinner (or a late post-workout lunch) is served.  :)

I topped mine with a bunch of freshly-grated Parmesan (since I can never resist it), along with some extra zest from the lemons. And the result was a fresh, bright, savory pasta that I couldn’t stop eating. Loved the crunch of those almonds, loved the classic lemon-basil flavor combo with a hint of garlic, and — as always — I love any chance to have some spaghetti.

So if you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner idea, or a good post-workout meal (because hey, Blue Diamond is the official sponsor of Team USA Swimming, so they know something about fueling strong athletes!), then I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

As Tim would say, “Make it work!” ;)

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Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 2 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 -6 servings 1x

Description

This Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds recipe is full of zesty flavor, it’s quick and easy to make, and packed with extra protein from lots of almonds!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almonds, roughly chopped
  • 12 ounces uncooked spaghetti (or any pasta shape)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 cup julienned or roughly-chopped fresh basil leaves, loosely-packed
  • recommended toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan and lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Scatter the chopped almonds in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 6-9 minutes, or until the almonds are lightly-toasted and fragrant.  Remove from the oven and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a large stockpot of generously-salted water, then add the spaghetti and cook it al dente according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, as the pasta water is cooking, heat olive oil (or butter) in a separate saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for 2-4 minutes or until lightly-golden and fragrant.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and toasted almonds.  Set aside.
  4. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, return it to the stockpot.  Add the garlic mixture and basil, and toss until evenly combined.
  5. Serve immediately, garnished with recommended toppings.

This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds, maker of all of my favorite snack almonds. And fun fact — I’m excited that they are an official sponsor of USA Swimming. Visit www.LaneToGreatness.com to learn more, and for a chance to win $5,000 to fuel your dreams of greatness (whatever they may be), get a Blue Diamond Almonds coupon and recipes, and more!

Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds -- quick and easy to make, full of zesty garlic lemon flavor, and topped with a sprinkle of Parmesan. So delicious! | gimmesomeoven.com

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31 comments on “Lemon Basil Spaghetti with Almonds”

  1. What a great summer recipe. I love this idea- I’ll add grilled chicken for my hubby, but the pasta is allllll me :-)

  2. Pastaaaaaaaa. Mmmmmm. Looks delicious. I’m always looking for different pasta recipes. Beautiful colors!

  3. Am loving the simplicity of this yummy pasta dish!

  4. I know quite a few people who are obsessed with almonds that would love a meal like this! I haven’t seen too many pasta dishes with nuts thrown in but it’s a great idea!

  5. Hi, Ali! This looks delicious, and I’m all about almonds, basil, lemon, and pasta! Do you have the nutritional information on this dish? Just wondering. Thanks for posting this recipe!

    • Thanks Ginger! We hope you enjoy it! Unfortunately though, we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  6. YUM!!!  This sounds absolutely wonderful!  I will look forward to making this.  One suggestion, for those like me who need more protein, Barilla Plus pasta would be a great choice for this dish.

    • Thanks Susan — we hope you love it! And yes, totally a great way to add even more protein! :)

  7. I never thought about throwing almonds into pasta but it looks/sounds amazing!!

  8. Man oh man Ali!  You hit it out of the park!  This has become my new favorite way to eat spaghetti.  I just got back from a long walk with my daughter, read your blog and thought….Why not?  I just got done with a workout, I’m ready for lunch and I happen to have all the ingedients (including leftover spaghetti from supper last night).  It took literally 2 minutes to put together and it did not disappoint.  Super refreshing, I’ll be making this again and again. Thanks Ali.  :)

    • Thank you so much, Mary! We’re happy you enjoyed this and appreciate you taking the time to comment! :)

  9. OMG this looks like absolute heaven!!! I love the ease and simplicity of it!  I never used almonds in my pasta!  I have used walnuts but not almonds!  Great pasta! Love the citrusy lemon!

  10. Love the addition of almonds for extra protein! This looks so delicious!

  11. Yummy! I hadn’t thought about adding almonds to a pasta dish! What a great idea!

  12. yumm!! Pasta with almonds, what a great idea!

  13. Hey! I have just discovered this blog and i think it’s pretty cool. I’ve decided to prepare this meal as tomorrow’s lunch. Could I use pistachios instead of almonds? And dried basil?

    • Thanks, Lucia! You could use pistachios instead of almonds, and you can use dried basil if you prefer, but we think fresh is better if you can get it! We hope you enjoy the pasta! :)

  14. Made this for a mother’s day dinner this year with a really heavy cheesy pesto garlic bread on the side (https://www.howsweeteats.com/2017/01/cheesy-stuffed-pesto-garlic-bread-video/). I figured the lightness of the pasta would be a good counter for the heaviness of the bread. This was my first time making a pasta that wasn’t spaghetti with Prego or Kraft mac and cheese, and I have to say I love it! This recipe is perfect for summer, I think, since it’s so light and fresh and sometimes you don’t want super heavy pasta when it’s hot and humid out. My only change I made to the recipe was to add a chopped green bell pepper and a chopped tomato, which I added to the garlic sautee just before taking it off the heat, solely for the purpose of getting a few extra nutrients in there. Great recipe overall! ^ _ ^






    • Thank you for taking the time to share this with us, Lara. We’re glad you enjoyed it, and we like that you added some bell pepper and tomato to it — yummy! :)

  15. This looks amazing. I will have to try this. Thanks for sharing!

  16. This was awesome!!!