Baked Catfish with Lemon Spaghetti

I was craving fish (big shocker there) the other night and decided this would be a pretty easy meal to put together. Full disclosure - I wanted tilapia, but Harris Teeter had sold out, so I settled for fresh catfish. It still turned out well, but I would probably use tilapia if I had a choice. The Lemon Spaghetti is a recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentis on The Food Network, who just so happens to be my favorite :) I will admit that the pasta portion tasted better the second day after having some time to set. Baked Catfish Place fish in a baking dish greased with PAM. Season with salt, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper and lemon juice. Bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes, or until fish is flaky. Lemon Spaghetti

1 pound spaghetti (I used linguine)

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.