Pasta with Lemon Pesto

featured image for pesto made from lemons

Lemon pesto pasta, without basil, is a bright and zesty variation of the traditional recipe, perfect for those who love citrus-forward flavors.

Course Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Total Time 25

Servings 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