A recipe with lemon and capellini

What is LEMON? Identification name: Citrus limon L. Family: Rutaceae Habitat: native to Asia, East Indies Medicinal parts: fruit, juice, peel Key chemical constituents: the essential oil contains 90% limonene and 3% citral. In the peel of the fruits the bitter flavonoids neohesperidin and naringin, other non-bitter flavonoids and coumarins. It also contain sugars, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin P. Specifically, citric acid is antimicrobial; limonene gives the scent of lemon; neohesperidin is antineoplastic; naringing is antineoplastic and anti-inflammatory; vitamin C is antioxidant; vitamin B1 is antioxidant, erythropoietic, mood modulating. Properties and uses: it is carminative, stimulating, tonic, vitaminizing. Lemon peel has mild appetizing and eupeptic properties. It is often found in herbal tea blends and homemade drinks as a flavor corrector. The essential oil is used as a seasoning agent and as an ingredient in skin ointments. Bioflavonoids in lemon are used in preparations for vascular problems and flu syndromes. Lemon juice is a good astringent, used in gargling for sore throats. The juice of one lemon a day has been shown to have good antilithiasic activity in patients with kidney stones. Although lemon juice is very acidic, once eaten, an alkalizing effect is produced in the body, useful in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Curiosity: in the past, some cases of cholera were cured with large doses of lemon. Traditionally, lemon juice was used as a remedy for stomach, diarrhea, sore throat. People used to apply lemon leaves on wounds, boils, and abscesses to cure them. Women used to wash their hands with lemon juice mixed with flour to make them smooth and white. Homeopathy uses lemon for bleeding gums. Caution: the literature reports no side effects and toxicity at therapeutic doses. Intensive contact with lemon essential oil or fresh lemon juice may cause photosensitization. Oxidation products of limonene can cause allergies. Lemon peel extract could interact with cytochromes as enzyme inhibitors, thus increasing their pharmacological activity. In pregnancy avoid using it in amounts greater than those typically found in foods.

I tried this recipe, and it is actually very nice! In a large pot of salty boiling water add capellini pasta and cook it for 3-5 minutes. In a sauté pan melt the butter and add the zest and juice of 1 LEMON. Season with salt and pepper and add the cooked capellini. Serve hot.

​References Frattola, Ida. Piante Medicinali Italiane. Edizioni Planta Medica, 2001. Ina Garten's Fan-Favorite Lemon Cappellini | Barefoot Contessa | Food Network - YouTube Palma, Luigi. Le Piante Medicinali D’Italia. Erbamea, 2006. Schonfelder, Ingrid, and Peter Schonfelder. Guida alle Piante Medicinali. Ricca Editore, 2012.