Vegan Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts
Think back to your early 20’s. Fresh out of college, in your first apartment (probably with 2-3 roommates), and your focus was more on having fun with your friends than grocery shopping. You probably ate a lot of ramen noodles (with frozen veggies mixed in if you were “health conscious”, ha ha) and, if you were like me, a lot of spaghetti with melted butter and salt. These Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts are my grown up answer to that admittedly delicious dish.
No way could I have afforded pine nuts back then! It was bad enough that I was always borrowing money from my mom to make my bar tab rent, I doubt she would’ve been amused if I had hit her up to buy seeds too.
Whatever your age, these noodles are delicious. Pair them with a green salad and a glass of crisp white wine and I’d call that just about the perfect meal. It also reheats nicely for workday lunches (hold the wine. Or not.)
PS: Just kidding about that bar tab joke, mom!
PPS: Stop squinting at my pictures, looking for the pine nuts. I forgot to put them in there. I don’t want to talk about it.
Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts (6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 1 box fettuccine
- 4-5 Tablespoons Earth Balance (or vegan butter of choice)
- 1 large lemon (juice and zest!)
- Generous 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- S&P
- 4-5 tablespoons pine nuts
Directions:
- Boil the pasta per package instructions, then drain. While they’re working, chop your parsley and get that lemon ready! A little trick is to roll it back and forth on your cutting board under your palm, it loosens up the juices.
- When the pasta is done, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and the pasta, and mix well. Let the pasta sit in there for a minute or two and make sure everything is all warm and mixed.
- Mix in your parsley, S&P, and top with the lemon zest. I recommend waiting to add the pine nuts until you’ve already plated the fettuccine to make sure they’re evenly distributed- a little less than a tablespoon per bowl.
Enjoy!
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Okay, I’ve stopped squinting. I promise. 😉
Buttered noodles was my favorite way to eat spaghetti growing up, but now I haven’t eaten it in probably 15 years. Funny how those things fade away and are replaced. Your noodles with pine nuts sound simply delicious.
Thanks! It’s fun to not only veganize old favorites, but also to update them and make them a little more “grown up”.
Hahaha the Bar Tab – I love how you had to assure your Mom you were joking 🙂 This looks amazing! I love how lemon brightens up a dish 🙂
My poor college student days I ate a lot of Rice a Roni, Pasta with Sauce or Alfredo – I pretty mush lived on carbs 🙂
I could still live on carbs!
Ramen noodles, Kraft Mac-n-Cheese… Amazing I’m still alive ;-).
Looks delish, Barb! So creamy good!
Why were all our favorites so bad for us!??
This sounds so yummy!
Your dishes always look wonderful, Barb….with all the junk we all ate back “in the day”…it truly is a wonder we’re all still alive….
I know… but we’re vegan now, so we’re making up for it 😉
Buttered noodles (usually elbow macaroni)were my mom’s staple dinner when we were out of food and waiting for the next batch of food stamps. And I still love them to this day. I occasionally indulge in them at Noodles and Company, but the addition of pine nuts and lemon upgrades this to a truly adult meal (oh and the wine does that too 😉 )Do you toast the pine nuts first?
I didn’t, but you certainly can!
MMMMMMMMMM! I woul add tossed veggies in here for added yummyniess!
Great recipe; so simple and fine. I like to add a variety of things to my own simple noodle dishes such as lemon-pepper, lemon juice, Earth Balance, nutritional yeast and maybe some more lemon juice. 🙂 And always parsley.
(We still see pine nuts as pretty expensive and haven’t bought any in a long time but now you’ve got me a ‘lil obsessed here about pine nuts. Mmm!
I just had a very similar meal to this the other day! Simple, yet comforting : )