EatingWell reader Sidra Goldman of Washington, D.C., contributed this fresh-tasting whole-wheat pasta recipe. Lemon zest accents the basil beautifully.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

ACTIVE TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine or spaghetti (see Ingredient note)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for cooking pasta.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
4. Add the pasta, the reserved cooking liquid, Parmesan and 1/4 cup basil to the mushrooms in the skillet; toss to coat well. Serve immediately, garnished with remaining basil.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 311 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 6 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 44 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 8 g fiber; 307 mg sodium.

Nutrition bonus: Fiber (28% daily value), Calcium (14% dv).

2 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings

TIP: Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastas are higher in fiber than white pastas. They can be found in health-food stores and some large supermarkets.

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An excellent way to make a light dinner. Great with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. If you're on Weight Wathchers this is only 6 points.

Anonymous

After two bites I was convinced this dish was a keeper. Easy to make as a weeknight meal, even my husband will have no trouble making it. The blend of basil with shiitake mushrooms was a joy to taste.

Trina, Groton, Ma

This recipe was awesome. I did not have any lemon zest so I added a little extra of the lemon juice. I also had to change the type of mushrooms, because my supermarket did not carry shiitake. I used cremmnie and mini bella.

, Machias, ME

Very good, very simple. Great light dinner or also served half-portion as a side dish with grilled chicken.

I am a disaster in the kitchen! I've made this twice in the past week and I LOVE IT! The flavors compliment each other wonderfully and it's an easy recipe for a beginner cook. But both times the parmesan just clumped up and my finished product was tasty although not pretty! There must be something I'm doing wrong!

Anonymous, Falls Church, VA

This recipe was fabulous! I'm fairly novice in the kitchen, this recipe was really easy and quick. My husband let out a 'yum' like I'd never heard before. He thought it tasted like something prepared in a restaurant! Excellente! Be conservative with the lemon, you can always add more.

Domestic Goddess, Philadelphia, PA

My husband made this as written. It was delicious. The lemon was a little overwhelming. Next time we'll use 1/2 or 3/4 the zest and juice. But there will definitely be a "next time."

Amber

Great Recipe. I used vegan mayonaise (veganaise) instead of cheese, and it turned out great! Can be a yummy vegan dish too!

Darius, San Francisco, CA

This recipe was pretty easy. My husband and I really liked it. My only complaint would be that my parmesan cheese clumped quite a bit. We had to add parmesan cheese on top of the finished product to give it some more taste because all the cheese was clumped away. Next time, I won't pour all the cheese in at once.

Diana, TN

This was an excellent dish. I had spinach/chive wheat linguine that I used for the pasta. The color of the dish was beautiful and tasty. Definetly a quick keeper meal.

Kathy, Odessa, DE

This recipe is not right. Too much lemon, so the taste is overwhelming. I thinking something is wrong, as the ingredients do not go well together at all. Do not make this if you want to enjoy your dinner!!

Robert, New York, NY

The flavor was wonderful! I halved the lemon juice as 2T seemed a bit much in relation to the other ingredients. The "sauce" was extremely watery, so not sure where I went wrong. Would make this again in a NY minute. Made it with crimini, oyster and shiitake mushrooms and basil from the garden.

Donna, Harvard, MA

Very easy & very good! I used baby bellas instead of shiitakes and didn't measure anything---wonderful. Will definitely make again. Thanks!

Sarah, Rhinelander, WI

Just needs a little salt in the end, but the falvores were fresh and new, i really liked it and its a keeper.

Sherihan, Alexandria, Eg

I made this for my mom and I after we decided to get healthier. It was delicious. By the time I was done it looked like a yummy, quick mac and cheese. It tastes great, and the flavors blend nicely. I ended up adding some crushed red pepper also and it was a great addition. Since we serve everything in the kitchen and then carry it to the dinning room, my mom was eating off her plate before she even sat down to the table with it because she said it smelled too good to wait. Next time I think I add some more mushrooms though, because they ended up being sparse though the dish. Also be careful with the lemon, I only added 1 teaspoon of zest and a tablespoon and a half of juice and was just right, not to lemon-ey. Overall this is great, and I'll make it again.

yummy, Richmond, CA

Somebody needs to pin a medal on the chef who came up with this recipe. It is outstanding! Brilliant use of simple ingredients that pack a superb flavouring. Wow!

ca, Annapolis Valley, NS

Made this dish last night for my partner and myself. Followed the advice below of using half of the grated lemon rind and half of the lemon juice that the recipe initially called for. It turned out great! My partner used to be a chef by trade and even he enjoyed the flavours :)I will definatley make this again.

Sara, Kingston, On, ca

Delicious, but same as the other reviewers, I toned down the lemon zest and lemon juice to fit my tastes. Wonderfully simple and quick. I'll definitely be making again.

Sarah