Pesto Fit for a Local

Image courtesy of Laura Rysman.

There are few people—American or Italian—who know Florence better than Laura Rysman, who moved to Milan from New York in 2009 and covers the ins and outs of her adopted home. While the writer spends many nights out on the town, exploring what to eat and see, she finds pleasure in locally sourced, home-cooked meals, too. Her go-to? Pasta with arugula pesto and fresh peas, made by her husband—who, it’s worth noting, is a former chef. According to Rysman, he is prone to making “restaurant-worthy meals,” like this one, with ingredients from local farms. Safe to say, we trust her.

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Ingredients

• 1 lb peas
• 100g arugula
• 50-100g cheese (Parmesan or ricotta, depending on the consistency you want)
• 1/4 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of ¼ of a lemon
• 50g chopped walnuts 200g tagliatelle pasta
  

Instructions

1. Shell peas and steam for 10 minutes
2. Cook pasta in the water used to steam peas until al dente.
3. Keep a few tablespoons of pasta water for the pot.
4. Roast walnuts in the oven.
5. In a food processor, blend arugula, cheese, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.
6. Walnuts can be added to pesto or served on top of pasta.
7. When pasta is cooked, return to cooking pot with a few tablespoons of cooking water, peas, and pesto, and combine over low heat for a couple of minutes.
8. Top with walnuts, pepper, and Parmesan.