Spaghetti with Tuna and Lemons

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

A tub of ready-to-go cannellini beans is invaluable when you are short of time or what the Italians call voglia (which translates as ‘want’ or ‘desire’). Of course there are always tins, jars and cartons if you don’t have time to soak and cook them yourself, but if you have been fruitful and cooked them, they can sit in the refrigerator for a good few days and wait to be used. The added bonus of cooking them yourself is that you can flavour them with anything you wish (perhaps some onion or garlic; herbs such as bay, thyme, rosemary or sage; a sun-dried tomato or two; or any combination of these), and they make a great starting point for this broth. I cooked these simply with water, a few tablespoons of oil, a clove or two of garlic and a sprig of rosemary, which meant they were the perfect bland carbohydrate-canvas to build on, and allowed the simple sweet and summery flavours of the other ingredients to stand out. You can use a stock cube or homemade stock as you wish.

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

I may have resisted the temptation to call this ‘lemonisu’ (partly because it doesn’t sound right anyway) but I could not resist writing a recipe for a pale yellow, lemony tiramisù. Of course, a real tiramisù should have coffee and cocoa (and in my mind, marsala and brandy), but this is a truly heavenly (if heathen) version, which, quite apart from being delicious, has a strong aesthetic argument behind it; such swathes of lemon yellow and pale cream seem like some sort of divinely luxurious sofa, smug and snug in the corner of an idyllic Amalfi residence. If you happen to have any leftover lemon cake, use that as it will be even better. Some people like to soak the sponge layer in limoncello, but I find it both too sweet and too strong, so I have left it out. This version is innocent, unapologetically creamy and child-friendly.

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

Punchy lemon is paired with delicate lavender to make these delicious shortbread biscuits, the perfect Easter baking recipe by Letitia Clark.

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

In this recipe, Letitia Clark takes the classic Italian dessert panna cotta, infuses it with lemon and serves it with strawberries for a beautiful summery dessert.

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

This recipe by Letitia Clark for bruschetta with stracciatella and anchovies, confit tomatoes and lemon zest is a must-make this summer.

Letitia Clark · For the Love of Lemons

This recipe by Letitia Clark combines olives with a lemony marinade, herbs, garlic and feta for a tasty antipasto.