Step 1

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Lightly toss with a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together, and set aside. Reserve a cup of the pasta water.

Step 2

While the pasta is cooking, add the cream to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the butter, cut into a few pieces, and stir it in until melted. (You may want to taste your cream sauce at this point and add a little more lemon juice if you'd like)

Step 3

Add the shredded basil leaves and stir them into the cream sauce.

Step 4

Add the cooked pasta to the saucepan and toss everything together to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen your sauce, if needed.

Step 5

Serve immediately topped with more shredded basil, or small basil leaves, pepper, and a generous shower of cheese.