How (not) to make lemon pasta

Can't win every race, but gotta keep trying. Plus I still have lots of lemons. It is exactly for the reason of the surplus lemons, that I had tonight what will be known as the lemon pasta disaster of 2012. Or hopefully will be soon forgotten when my next experiment goes awry.

I still stand by the idea- to make a lemon pasta dish. I got eight lemons in my fruit share, so I felt the need to move beyond just iced tea with lemon (though in retrospect that would've been far tastier). I had a basic idea for an olive oil lemon with basil spaghetti (using gluten free pasta) and looked up a few recipes on the Internet. I settled on one that was simple- cook the pasta, and in a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and add salt and pepper with some fresh basil sliced thin and shaved parmesian cheese. Sounds like a delicious light summer meal, right? Perhaps if it is well executed. Alas...

The first issue is that these lemons are amazing. They are extra lemony and extra juicy, which you would think would be a good thing- and it would if you remember to adjust to taste before whisking the ingredients together. Recipes, which I usually never follow, are based on grocery store produce. Apparently for lemons that means dry with a hint of lemon flavor. But I thought because they were so good, I'd add the fresh juice from two lemons, not just the one it called for. Rookie mistake.

Second issue and the major error- you were supposed to drain the pasta, saving some of the pasta water to add back in as needed after you tossed it in the lemony mixture. But I panicked when I realized I was straining it and not capturing the pasta water, so I quick-like-lighting inverted the strainer back over the bowl with the lemony stuff. Too fast. It was still very very wet, and so essentially the cheese melted into the starchy lemon water, which coated the pasta, like lemony slime. Totally gross.

I considered not sharing my failure. For starters, it makes me look a bit ridiculous. But you know, the reality is that sometimes stuff just doesn't work out the way you planned. It doesn't make it a bad idea, it just is what it is. Messy, and fun, and a reason to eat chocolate for the main course. You gotta be willing to laugh at yourself, and learn from your mistakes.