Transport yourself to the coastal charms of Amalfi with lemon pesto pasta; recipe inside

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. This image released by Milk Street shows a recipe for spaghetti with lemon pesto, from the cookbook “Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year.” Instead of pounding the pesto with a mortar and pestle — as is classic with basil pesto — we use the food processor. SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON PESTO Spaghetti with lemon pesto recipe 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 Instructions: 1.