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    Home » Italian food

    Lemon Pesto Pasta

    Published: Sep 27, 2024 by Diana Reis · This post may contain affiliate links

    ↓ Jump to Recipe

    Lemon lovers venture into new flavors of Italian food with this light, and delicately flavored Creamy Lemon Pesto over angel hair pasta. This zesty sauce is made from simple ingredients and mixed with reserve pasta water to form a creamy, silky sauce with unbelievable flavor.

    pasta with pesto made from lemons, pine nuts, and parmesan in a large pot

    When you think of classic pesto, you may think of fresh basil leaves and garlic cloves, but pesto can be made of any combination of crushed ingredients. Fresh herbs and nuts are a hallmark of traditional pesto. This lemon pesto pasta recipe has a unique flavor that blends zesty citrusy notes with rich earthy tones seamlessly. It will become one of your favorite condiments. 

    I want to give credit where it is due. I first saw a lemon pesto recipe on an Instagram post by 177 Milk Street and I was immediately inspired to start experimenting. 

    The key to this dish is the fresh lemon zest, which adds a fragrant, citrusy aroma that transforms the pasta. Combined with toasted pine nuts, and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, the sauce becomes rich and savory, while still retaining a fresh, zesty edge. A thin layer of olive oil brings everything together, ensuring the sauce clings perfectly to the pasta, making each bite a delightful mix of tangy, nutty, and cheesy goodness.

    Extra zest and sugar in the pasta water really infuses the dish with extra citrus complexity and enhances what tends to be a very delicate flavor. 

    To top it all off, this great sauce tossed with quick cooking pasta can be a sophisticated yet easy dinner. Finish this lovely lemon pesto pasta with chopped chives for a delicate garnish and serve with a beautiful fresh salad like Burrata Caprese or Lemon Arugula Salad and you can have a temping dinner in under 20 minutes.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make it
    • Substitutions
    • Storage
    • Diana's Tips for Success
    • Top tip
    • FAQs
    • Related
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    lemon pesto pasta ingredients
    • Lemon Peel - Zest is the base of this delicate pesto recipe. The gentle aroma infuses the thin pasta perfectly. 
    • Toasted Pine Nuts- The sweet, nutty flavor of toasted pine nuts balances with the lemon 
    • Parmesan Cheese- I used a domestic Parmesan for this. It is typically a very mild hard cheese with a slightly nutty flavor. Parmigiano Reggiano is great for this dish while being a little more expensive. 
    • Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This oil has fruity notes, absorbs the flavors from all of the other ingredients, and makes the sauce coat the pasta.
    • Black Pepper- The strong flavor of black pepper adds just the right amount of heat for the delicate flavors of lemon and parmigiana. 
    • Sugar-Using a small amount of sugar cuts the bitterness of the lemon zest.
    • Chives- These are a perfect addition, and add a very mild onion flavor that accents this light dish. 
    • Pasta Cooking Water-Important for any good pasta dish, but especially for lemon pesto as it thins the sauce, creates the creamy texture, and encourages the flavor to cling to each noodle.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make it

    one lemon peeled with thin peels along side

    Step 1: Use a vegetable peeler and carefully peel all three lemons. Remove just the zest, and leave the bitter white pith behind.

    large wide pan with 2 quarts of water, sugar, salt, and lemon

    Step 2: Place 2 quarts of water, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt into a large skillet. Bring to a low boil.

    pine nuts in dry pan to toast

    Step 3: Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Place pine nuts into the dry skillet and warm for 2-3 minutes until they begin to show color and release a nutty aroma.

    lemon pesto base in the food processor

    Step 4: Place the zest of two lemons, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the processor, and scrape down the bowl until you have the mixture has a texture of coarse sand.

    Slowly add olive oil to the food processor and blend until you have a thick paste of lemon pesto.

    Lemon pesto and extra pepper in pan

    Step 5: Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add lemon pesto and freshly cracked black pepper. Warm gently for 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat.

    close up of lemon pesto on angel hair pasta in a large pot

    Step 5: Cook pasta, drain, and transfer to the skillet with pesto. Toss lemon pesto, angel hair pasta. Slowly add the reserved pasta cooking water until you get the desired consistency.

    Substitutions

    • Slivered Almonds: Blanched slivers are a good substitute for pine nuts. Almonds are a hard nut and raw almonds will be gritty and hard to integrate so make sure you use blanched almonds.
    • Pecorino Romano Cheese can be used instead of Parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano. Pecorino has a slightly tangy flavor compared to the nuttiness of parmesan. 

    Storage

    Store leftover lemon pesto pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    ​To reheat, place in a microwaves safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel to retain moisture. Warm in 30 second intervals, stirring in between to ensure even cooking.

    ​Pasta can also be reheated on the stove in a pan. Heat a medium sized pan on medium heat. Place the pasta into the pan with 2-3 tablespoons of water and gently warm. 

    Diana's Tips for Success

    Lemon pesto can compliment a variety of pasta shapes, but it works well with lighter, thinner pasta like angel hair. 

    Angel hair pasta cooks very quickly. To make sure you get al-dente strands, check the pasta 1 full minute before the package cook time is up. It should be around 3-4 minutes for perfectly tender pieces.

    Peel your lemons with half pressure to makes sure you only take the zest and not the lemon rinds including the bitter pith. 

    Top tip

    Don’t throw out your pasta water. The success of this dish depends on it. The starchy water transforms the coarsely chopped lemon zest, pine nuts, and parmesan into a silky smooth sauce.

    close up of angel hair pasta with lemon pesto sauce

    FAQs

    What is Pesto? 

    Not all pesto has basil. Pesto, in Italian, literally means pounded or crushed. So a pesto sauce can be made from a variety of ingredients that are crushed or modernly blended together in a food processor. 

    Should you cook lemon pesto?

    Lemon Pesto can be used as topping or pasta sauce and can be served cold or gently warmed. Typically, pesto should not be cooked or simmered because it is meant to be a fresh condiment. High heat will greatly change the flavor of the ingredients and take away from the clean natural taste of fresh ingredients. When warming, the hot pasta and reserve pasta water heat lemon pesto just enough to release the vibrant flavor and help the ingredients combine.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Pesto alla Genovese
    • Spinach Pesto
    • Pesto Calabrese 

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    📖 Recipe

    featured image for pesto made from lemons

    Pasta with Lemon Pesto

    Lemon pesto pasta, without basil, is a bright and zesty variation of the traditional recipe, perfect for those who love citrus-forward flavors.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course, Main Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 333kcal
    Author: Diana Reis

    Equipment

    • 2 Large Skillets
    • 1 Small Pan
    • Food Processor

    Ingredients

    • 1 Pound Angel Hair Pasta
    • 2 Quarts Water
    • 3 Large Lemons for zest
    • 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ Cup Pine Nuts toasted
    • ¼ Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
    • 2 Ounces Parmesan Cheese
    • 2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
    • **1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
    • Chives finely chopped for garnish, optional

    Instructions

    • Use a vegetable peeler and carefully peel all three lemons. Remove just the zest, and leave the bitter white pith behind.
    • Place 2 quarts of water, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt into a large skillet. Bring to a low boil.
    • Heat a small skillet on medium heat. Place pine nuts into the dry skillet and warm for 2-3 minutes until they begin to show color and release a nutty aroma.
    • Place the zest of two lemons, toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the processor, and scrape down the bowl until you have the mixture has a texture of coarse sand.
    • Slowly add olive oil to the food processor and blend until you have a thick paste of lemon pesto.
    • Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add lemon pesto and freshly cracked black pepper. Warm gently for 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat.
    • Place pasta in the boiling lemon water and cook according to package instructions.
    • Reserve 1 Cup of pasta water.
    • Drain pasta and transfer to the skillet with pesto. Toss lemon pesto, angel hair pasta. Slowly add the reserved pasta cooking water until you get the desired consistency.
    • Garnish with freshly chopped chives and serve.

    Notes

    Diana’s Top Tips
    • Lemon pesto can compliment a variety of pasta shapes, but it works well with lighter, thinner pasta like angel hair.
    • Angel hair pasta cooks very quickly. To make sure you get al-dente strands, check the pasta 1 full minute before the package cook time is up. It should be around 3-4 minutes for perfectly tender pieces.
    • Don’t throw out your pasta water. The success of this dish depends on it. The starchy water transforms the coarsely chopped lemon zest, pine nuts, and parmesan into a silky smooth sauce.
    • Peel your lemons with half pressure to makes sure you only take the zest and not the lemon rinds including the bitter pith.
    What is Pesto?
    Not all pesto has basil. Pesto, in Italian, literally means pounded or crushed. So a pesto sauce can be made from a variety of ingredients that are crushed or modernly blended together in a food processor.
    Should you cook lemon pesto?
    Lemon Pesto can be used as topping or pasta sauce and can be served cold or gently warmed. Typically, pesto should not be cooked or simmered because it is meant to be a fresh condiment. High heat will greatly change the flavor of the ingredients and take away from the clean natural taste of fresh ingredients. When warming, the hot pasta and reserve pasta water heat lemon pesto just enough to release the vibrant flavor and help the ingredients combine.
    Storage and Reheating
    Store leftover lemon pesto pasta in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
    ​To reheat, place in a microwaves safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel to retain moisture. Warm in 30 second intervals, stirring in between to ensure even cooking. ​
    Pasta can also be reheated on the stove in a pan. Heat a medium sized pan on medium heat. Place the pasta into the pan with 2-3 tablespoons of water and gently warm.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1001mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 59IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @DianDeliciousB or tag #DeliciousByDesign!

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    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Diana Reis says

      September 27, 2024 at 10:42 pm

      5 stars
      Enjoy this simple recipe, from my home to yours.

      Reply
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    I’m passionate about the family dinner table. Connecting with each other at the end of the day over a good meal creates strong family bonds and healthy long-lasting relationships. I want to help families and friends build those relationships.

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