How to Make Lotte Duncan's Amalfi Lemon and Basil Pasta

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

If you don’t have any Amalfi lemons to hand, we’ve adapted the ingredients below for the smaller lemons more readily available in the UK!

  • 250g dried spaghetti
  • Juice from 2 Amalfi lemons (or 3 large lemons)
  • Stripped zest from 1 Amalfi lemon (or 1 large lemon)
  • Grated zest from 1 Amalfi lemon (or 2 large lemons)
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 200g freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 25g butter
  • A large handful of fresh basil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 50g chopped pistachios
  • Basil and grated parmesan cheese to serve

CREATING YOUR MASTERPIECE

  1. Boil a large pan of salted water with the stripped lemon zest in it and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions - but 2 minutes less than it says - al dente.
  2. Mix the lemon zest and lemon juice with the olive oil and parmesan.
  3. Once the pasta is cooked, melt the butter in a large saucepan and toss in the lemon sauce. Add the pasta and mix well with a little of the pasta cooking water.
  4. Tear the basil up, stir in and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Serve sprinkled with the pistachios on top and some more basil and cheese.

About Lotte

Lotte Duncan is a professional cook, broadcaster and leading authority on English cooking. She is also patron and director of the Thame Food Festival and the Bradford-on-Avon Food Festival. Lotte travelled on the Travelsphere Amalfi Coast holiday.