Spaghetti with browned butter, a whole lemon, green olives and herbs

This sauce comes together rather like cacio e pepe, with the key to its silkiness a splash of emulsifying the pasta water with the browned butter and melted cheese.

Green olives bring a welcome salty kick. Use any soft herbs you like, but include some parsley if you can - it has a way of rounding out all the other flavours. I happened to have a surfeit of ends of bread, so I made crumbs and fried them until golden and crispy to scatter over the finished dish. It’s just as good without crumbs, though, and just the sort of simple main you need when you've worked hard(ish) for dessert.

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time:  30 minutes

SERVES

5

INGREDIENTS

• 150g butter

• 2 lemons, halved lengthways and thinly sliced (pips removed)

• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 500g spaghetti

• 300g green olives, roughly chopped

• 145g Parmesan, finely grated + extra to serve

• 1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped

• 1 large bunch of mixed soft herbs (I used basil, mint and dill), roughly chopped

• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

METHOD

1. Melt 100g of the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Let it cook for a minute and foam up. Make sure it doesn’t brown too quickly. Add the lemon slices before the butter is fully browned and cook them until soft and taking on some colour (about five minutes), turning them so both sides have a chance to brown. When you flip the lemon, add the garlic slices and let them turn golden alongside. Your pan might start to look a little gnarly but there is so much flavour there, and it’ll all come off the bottom shortly. Turn the heat off and use tongs to remove a third of the lemons to a plate.

2. Meanwhile, put a large pot of well salted water on to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve a large mug of pasta water.

3. Turn the heat back on low under the frying pan, and add the olives. Pour in the pasta water and whisk (with a balloon whisk), adding lumps of the remaining butter a little at a time. Whisk until each piece is incorporated, and until the sauce has emulsified. Then add the cheese and plenty of black pepper and whisk until melted. Taste to see if it needs salt.

4. With the pan still over a low heat, toss the pasta in with the sauce, half the herbs and a little olive oil. Serve with the remaining lemons and herbs scattered over the dish and plenty of extra Parmesan.