Recipe: Spaghetti with lemon pesto from Procida

Who better to learn how to make pasta from than Italy’s best home cooks, the nonnas themselves? In the cookbook Pasta Grannies, you’ll find accessible and traditional family recipes from nonnas throughout the country, and learn how to make pasta yourself (with and without a pasta machine). Nonna Adriana teaches you how to make this spaghetti with lemon pesto yourself. And believe us: this dish deserves a place in your repertoire!

Procida, a small island off the coast of Naples, was the location for the film The Talented Mr Ripley and also Italy’s cultural capital in 2022. Despite all the attention and fame, village life simply carries on. Adriana, Antonietta, Enza, Aria and Teresa are neighbours and friends through the local choir. They share a love of cooking. This recipe is wonderful for when unexpected guests arrive or when you want to cook something quick that tastes like a long weekend in Italy.

Amalfi lemons

Adriana: ‘My mother made this pesto in winter, because that’s when the lemons are picked. In summer, we went looking for pine cones, and when it got colder, we laid the pine nuts by the open fireplace to dry before using them in this pesto. We added parsley and mint because basil is a summer herb, but of course you can use that too. And you know, back then we didn’t use Parmesan – we made this pesto with pecorino.’ The lemons in this part of the world are large, sweet and very fragrant. Amalfi lemons (which are very similar to those from Procida) are now widely available, but if you use ordinary lemons, you may want to experiment with the acidity by reducing the amount of juice and adding a little more water. You can also use Meyer lemons.

How to make spaghetti with lemon pesto from Procida

• First peel the lemons: you only need the zest. A filleting knife, which has a flexible blade, is ideal for cutting away the white pith. Hold the peel on a board with the white side facing up, securing it with one finger, and slide the knife horizontally under the white part with your other hand (away from your fingers, please). This leaves only the yellow zest.
• Finely chop the yellow zest. Strain the seeds from the lemon juice. Roughly chop the parsley, mint and garlic, and grind these ingredients with a pinch of salt, the chilli flakes and olive oil in a food processor. Roughly chop the pine nuts, add them to the mixture and grind everything into a coarse paste. Add half of the Parmesan and grind briefly once more. Taste to check the acidity and, if necessary, add a few tablespoons of water.
• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Meanwhile, spoon the pesto into a large salad bowl. Thin it with a ladleful of hot pasta water to make it more of a sauce. Drain the pasta, but reserve a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pesto and add the remaining cheese. If necessary, add more pasta water so that the sauce coats the spaghetti nicely.
• Serve immediately.

Title: Pasta Grannies
Author: Vicky Bennison
Price: €29,99
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers

Read also:

• Why pasta water is worth its weight in gold
• 10x the best tips for pasta
• Italians go wild over a rather unusual pasta recipe