12 minEasyToo late but worth it
The Tomato Toast We Keep Making Too Late
This is the thing we make after saying we are definitely not hungry anymore.
Tomatosummer counter
Recipe · Late spring
Sunday Market Pasta with Too Much Lemon
Ribbon pasta, lemon, parsley, fennel fronds, and enough cheese to keep the whole thing from becoming a lecture.
35 minMediumBright and messyLemonPosted May 18, 2026
We came home with two lemons, one bag of parsley, fennel fronds we did not technically need, and a vendor’s warning that the asparagus would be woody by Tuesday.
So this became lunch. It tastes best when the sink is already full and the windows are open.
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 10 ounces ribbon pasta
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 bunch parsley
- Fennel fronds from 1 bulb
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- Optional asparagus tips or peas
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- 01
Cook the pasta until just tender, keeping more cooking water than you think you need.
- 02
Finely chop the parsley and fennel fronds. Grate the garlic into the olive oil and stir in the lemon zest.
- 03
If you are using asparagus or peas, cook them briefly in the pasta water before draining.
- 04
Toss the pasta with the lemon oil, herbs, lemon juice, pecorino, and enough pasta water to make it loose and glossy.
- 05
Add black pepper with confidence. Taste. Add more lemon anyway.
What changes every time
- Sometimes there are peas, sometimes there are shaved raw zucchini ribbons.
- If we bought ricotta, we spoon some on top and pretend this was the plan.
- The right amount of lemon is the amount that makes one of us say, 'maybe too much,' and the other say, 'perfect.'
Inspired by
Sunday markets, green things in paper bags, and pasta that tastes like an open window.
Pairs well with
- A plate of sliced fennel and salt
- Sparkling water with more lemon than necessary
- Strawberries eaten later while leaning on the counter
Keep cooking