Gennaro's LimoniVibrant Italian Recipes Celebrating the Lemon

Gennaro Contaldo’s love letter to his Amalfi Coast home

Ask a foodie about the Amalfi Coast and lemons immediately spring to mind. The sweet, aromatic, large and thick-skinned sfusato Amalfitano is the extraordinary and delectable citrus fruit that Gennaro Contaldo grew up with.

Lemons were and still are a part of daily life for locals of the Amalfi Coast, and Gennaro continues this tradition in his everyday cooking. From a sliver of zest in his morning espresso to helping with minor ailments and even household chores, lemons have a wealth of uses. No part of the lemon is wasted—flesh, pith, and skin are chopped into salads, juice is drizzled over meat, fish, and veggies, while the aromatic zest adds a complexity to a dish’s flavor. Even the leaves are used to wrap meat, fish and cheese for extra flavor, or finely chopped and made into a tea infusion.

Lemons can cleanse, refresh, preserve, “cook,” and add a vibrant flavor to dishes, giving color and an uplifting aroma. Through vibrant recipes like Ravioli with Ricotta, Lemon, and Mint; Sicilian Chicken Involtini; Lemon Cookies; and Coffee and Lemon Semi-Freddo, this is a beautiful and inspiring homage to the most revered of fruit.

Chapters include: The Amalfi—a little history including stories of Gennaro’s childhood; Lemons in the kitchen; Salads & Appetizers; Pasta & Risotto; Meat & Fish; Veggie & Vegan; Dressings & Sauces; Desserts; and Drinks.