Mafaldine with Meyer Lemon-Pea Shoot Pesto

Listen to me carefully: two ingredients here should be noticed under all circumstances. Number one is using good-quality olive oil. Please only make this with something other than Phillippo Berrio. Number two is Meyer lemons. They are much sweeter than regular lemons and will have a noticeable flavor difference. And one last thing: never skip citrus zest if a recipe calls for it. It's there for a reason.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp grated Meyer lemon zest plus 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (from 1 large lemon or 2 medium lemons), divided

4 cups loosely packed fresh pea shoots, plus more for garnish, if desired

1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds

2 oz ricotta salata, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup salted roasted sunflower seed kernels

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

16 oz uncooked mafaldine pasta

1 oz pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

2 tbsp butter

Preparation

1. Using a microplane grater, finely grate 1 garlic clove to yield about 1/2 teaspoon garlic. Finely chop remaining garlic clove, and set aside. Add grated garlic to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add breadcrumbs; cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, and set aside.

2. Combine pea shoots, parsley, dill, ricotta salata, sunflower seed kernels, lemon juice, reserved chopped garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest in a blender. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped, 12 to 15 pulses. With blender running, add remaining 1/2 cup oil to mixture in a thin stream, and continue processing until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed red pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

4. Return pasta to a large pot; add pea shoot pesto, pecorino Romano, butter, and 2/3 cup reserved cooking liquid, stirring until butter is melted and pasta is nicely coated, adding remaining 1/3 cup cooking liquid if needed to loosen sauce. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumb mixture. If desired, garnish with additional pea shoots.