Recipe: Lemon and Pinenut Tagliatelle

Lemon and Pinenut Tagliatelle

Tagliatelle Con Limone E Pinoli
6 to 8 servings

Lisa Bonacossi, her husband, Ugo Contini Bonacossi, and most of their seven children run the Cappezzana winery near Pistoia, in Tuscany. Though Lisa is from a noble family, she is the kind of person who can't stay out of the kitchen (any more than she can stay away from the winery), and she often prepares simple country dishes herself.

"This is one of my favorite pastas," Lisa Bonacossi said, citing its simplicity, "It is made with the lemons, pine nuts, and oil that everyone has at hand." The flavors are simple and brilliant. The sauce is best served with fresh tagliatelle. I serve it with lemon wedges too for those who like to squeeze a bit of fresh juice over the pasta. Serve with a well-chilled Pinot Grigio for a nice, bright combination.

1 cup (gently packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 2 lemons, cut into fine (julienne) strips
1/2 cup pine nuts
Fine sea salt
1-3/4 pounds fresh tagliatelle
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges (optional)

1. Lightly toast the pine nuts in a 350 degrees F. oven for 3 to 5 minutes checking them often as they can burn in an instant!

2. Mince the parsley and place it in a large shallow bowl. Add the oil, lemon zest, and pine nuts and mix well until combined. Season with salt, cover, and let sit for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the tagliatelle, stir, and cook until it is al dente, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

4. Add the hot pasta along with the cooking water immediately to the prepared sauce and toss until the sauce is thoroughly distributed. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

5. To serve, use two spoons and carefully scoop up the pasta, making sure to get pine nuts with each serving. (The pine nuts tend to fall to the bottom of the bowl no matter how well you toss the pasta. Once the pasta is served, simply return to the bowl and evenly distribute the remaining pine nuts over each serving.)

Segreti
Be sure to let the pine nuts macerate in the oil so they can lend their sweet flavor.

Buy the Book!

Italian Farmhouse Cookbook
By Susan Herrmann Loomis
Workman, 2000
Paperback: $16.95, ISBN: 0-7611-0527-1
Hardcover: $28.95, ISBN: 0-7611-1791-1
480 pages, Illustrations throughout
Recipe reprinted by permission.