Recipe - Table-Top Spaghetti Marco Polo

1 pound Cooked spaghetti in a large
salad bowl
1 cup Chopped walnuts
1 cup Chopped black olives
1 cup Chopped bottled red pimiento
Toss above three together in
an attractive bowl
One half cup Chopped fresh parsley, in a
small bowl
12 lg Leaves fresh basil, thinly
cut or sliced up , in a small bowl
One fourth cup Garlic vinaigrette (see oil
and lemon dressing
variation below) in a bowl
or pitcher with mixing fork
Salt and white pepper, both
in grinders
1 One half cup Loosely packed chilled
crumbled cheese such as
feta, goat cheese,
Roquefort, or blue

OIL AND LEMON DRESSING
2 Strips of fresh lemon peel
(1 x 2One half inches each)
One fourth teaspoon Salt, plus more, if needed
One half tablespoon Dijontype prepared mustard
1 tablespoon Freshly squeezed lemon juice
(up to 2)
One half cup Fine fresh oil
Freshly ground pepper

Have all the ingredients at the table. With flourish and confidence, begin
by elegantly folding into the spaghetti the chopped nuts and vegetables,
along with the parsley and basil. Toss in spoonfuls of dressing, tasting
for seasoning, and adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve onto chilled
plates, sprinkle each salad with crumbled cheese.

Oil and Lemon Dressing: Mince the lemon peel very finely with the salt,
scrape it into the mortar or bowl, and mash into a fine paste with the
pestle or spoon. Beat in the mustard and 1 tbsp. of the lemon juice; when
thoroughly blended, start beating in the oil by droplets to make a
homogeneous sauceeasier when done with a small electric mixer. Beat in
droplets more lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Emulsion note: Slow additions of oil and constant beating make the emulsion
here, and if the sauce doesn't "take"too badjust beat it well before
using.
Garlic Vinaigrette Variation: Mash and mince the garlic, then either mash
it to a pure'e with the lemon peel, or alone with the salt. Proceed with
the recipe.

Recipes from The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Knopf, copyright cup 1989 by
Julia Child) Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by
JeannePie@aol.com on Apr 28, 1997