In Amalfi, pesto is made with strips of fragrant lemon zest

In Amalfi, Italy, cooks making pesto forgo the classic fresh basil in favor of strips of zest from the local lemons, “sfusato amalfitano.” Combined with almonds, Parmesan and oil, it makes a bright, aromatic pesto perfect for tossing with pasta. For extra citrus complexity, we also add lemon zest to the pasta cooking water; the oils from the zest lightly perfume the spaghetti, reinforcing the lemony notes of the pesto. Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS 4 lemons Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1½ teaspoons white sugar Divided 1 pound spaghetti ½ cup slivered almonds 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, cut into rough 1-inch pieces, plus finely grated Parmesan to serve ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives DIRECTIONS Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in long, wide strips; try to remove only the colored portion of the peel, not the bitter white pith just underneath. To the spaghetti in the pot, add the pesto and ¾ cup of the reserved pasta water, then toss to combine; add more reserved pasta water as needed so the pesto coats the noodles.