Inspired by the Italian dish "spaghetti al pesto di limone," this lemon pesto pasta recipe features a creamy no-cook sauce made from fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, herbs, and plenty of cheese. It's an easy dinner that comes together in just about 30 minutes.
Lemon lovers, this one's for you! I recently came across a delicious pesto recipe from the Amalfi coast, and I just had to share my own version with you! While it's texturally very similar to a classic pesto, the sauce contains lots of fresh lemon peel.
It's fresh and tangy, with a little bit of bite from the intense citrus flavor. And it's nice and creamy (without adding any cream!), as the fresh lemon juice helps emulsify the sauce.
Recipe Origins & Development
Lemon pesto is a popular dish hailing from Procida, Italy, a small island off the coast of Naples. This dish is typically made with Procida lemons (or Amalfi lemons), both of which are sweeter, larger, and spongier than a typical lemon you might see in the US.
I researched several online recipes, including Pasta Grannies, Milk Street, and CiaoItalia, and then created my own version suited to my taste preferences. Additionally, because Italian lemons are difficult to find here, I altered the recipe to include enough sweetness to mimic the original.
For more citrus-forward recipes, try my gnocchi al limone, mussels in creamy lemon sauce, or limbu sarbat drink.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Raw lemon peel offers a wonderful aroma and flavor to this dish. The addition of juice emulsifies the fresh pesto into a creamy sauce that clings beautifully to your pasta.
- It's quick and easy! The sauce doesn't require any cooking.
- It's absolutely delicious. The balance of tart, citrusy notes with salty cheese, fresh herbs, and nutty pine nuts is nothing short of addicting.
- It's pantry-friendly! You likely already have all of the ingredients you need right at home.
Ingredient Notes
Let's talk through the key pesto ingredients you'll need for this pasta dish:
- Lemon: Because Procida and Amalfi lemons are difficult to find, I call for regular lemons. Meyer lemons are even better if you can find them, as they are a sweeter variety. However, these lemons tend to have a very delicate peel, so I recommend using Meyer lemon juice and regular lemon zest.
- Fresh Herbs: You can use any combination of soft herbs you like, such as basil, mint, or parsley. In the colder winter, I'll use mint, but in the summer I like using basil.
- Sugar: Thanks to a tip from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street recipe, a teaspoon of sugar brings the sweetness necessary to mimic the Procida-style pesto.
- Pine Nuts: Make sure to toast these to bring out their aromatic notes! Can't find them? You can use toasted cashews or almonds in place of the pine nuts.
- Pasta: I love this dish with spaghetti, but other cuts like linguine, trofie, or fusilli are great, too. It'd be absolutely delicious with fresh pasta, like fettuccine or tagliatelle!
How to Make Lemon Pesto Pasta
Using a y-shaped peeler (or a standard vegetable peeler), peel the zest off the lemon in wide strips. Avoid the bitter white pith as much as you can.
In the bowl of a food processor, add the peels along with pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, herbs, and black pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Pulse the mixture until a bright green paste begins to form.
Add a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and pulse to incorporate.
Add 1 tablespoon of water, plus 1-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (to taste), and pulse until a creamy mixture comes together. Season with kosher salt as needed.
Drain pasta, saving a bit of pasta water. In a large bowl, toss the al dente pasta with ⅓ of the sauce to start. Taste, and adjust as needed. Serve with a bit of olive oil and more cheese. Enjoy!
How Much Lemon Juice To Use
Everyone has a different tolerance for acidity, so you can adjust the amount of juice to your own preference:
- 1 tablespoon = subtle acidity
- 2 tablespoons = moderate level of acidity
- 3 tablespoons = strong level of acidity, for all of us lemon lovers!
Note that the less juice you use, the more pasta cooking water you may need to create a creamy sauce.
Top Tip
A food processor is a great way to quickly grate a block of parmesan cheese. Remove the rind and chop into ½-inch pieces. Pulse in a food processor in 3-second intervals until finely grated into a homogeneous texture.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Leftover pesto lasts 3 - 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Note that the flavors will continue to meld over time.
Tips and Tricks
- Avoid the pith. The pithy (white) part of the lemon is quite bitter, so make sure to avoid adding any pith to the pesto!
- Season properly. To decide how much lemon juice you'd like, add 1 tablespoon of the juice to start, then take a bite of the pesto. It should taste slightly less lemony than you'd like, because the acidity will build up over time. Make sure there's enough salt too, to balance out the tartness!
- Change it up. For a little extra pizzazz, add some chopped artichoke hearts, chopped fresh herbs, or spicy red chili flakes to the pasta.
Recipe FAQs
This pasta would be absolutely fire with some shrimp scampi or grilled chicken breast.
This pasta is best served slightly warmed through or at room temperature. This lemon pesto is a no-cook sauce, so it stays at room temperature! When you toss it with the pasta, the heat of the noodles will warm it up slightly.
The best way to reheat pesto is to microwave it in 15-second intervals until just warmed through. Toss with freshly cooked noodles until the sauce clings nicely to the pasta.
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Happy eating! Love, KarishmaCreamy Lemon Pesto Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon, about 6 ounces
- 30 grams pine nuts, toasted
- 67 grams parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 15 grams assorted fresh herbs, such as mint, parsley, or basil | tough stems removed
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon water
- 8 ounces dried pasta, such as spaghetti, linguine, or trofie
Instructions
- Prep the lemon: Using a Y-shaped peeler (or a standard vegetable peeler), peel the zest off the lemon in wide strips. Note: Be careful to avoid peeling the pith from the lemon, which is the bitter, white layer underneath the yellow peel. Juice the lemon and set aside; you should have about 2 - 3 tablespoons juice.1 large lemon
- Boil the water: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
Make the Pesto:
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the lemon peels, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, herbs, sugar, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until a bright green, chunky paste just begins to form, scraping the sides of bowl with a flexible spatula to mix in any unincorporated bits.30 grams pine nuts, 67 grams parmigiano-reggiano cheese, 1 clove garlic, 15 grams assorted fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar, Salt and black pepper
- Add the oil, and pulse to combine.45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Add the water and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Pulse until a creamy and light green paste forms.Taste and adjust the pesto for seasoning, adding salt as needed. If desired, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of the remaining juice. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Note: To decide how much lemon juice you'd like, take a bite of the pesto. It should taste slightly less lemony than you'd like, because the acidity will build up over time. Make sure there's enough salt too, to balance out the tartness!1 tablespoon water
Finish the dish:
- Cook the pasta: Add the pasta to the boiling water, and cook until al dente. Reserve ¾ cup of pasta water.8 ounces dried pasta
- Transfer the hot pasta to a large serving bowl. Toss with about ⅓ of the pesto to start. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed (salt, black pepper, etc.) If desired, you can add more of the pesto. After tossing, the sauce should cling nicely to the pasta. If it feels too dry, you can use a bit of pasta water to thin the sauce out.
- Serve: Divide pasta amongst serving bowls and top with more olive oil and cheese, if desired. Enjoy!45 ml extra-virgin olive oil, 67 grams parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Video
Notes
- 1 tablespoon = subtle acidity
- 2 tablespoons = moderate level of acidity
- 3 tablespoons = strong level of acidity, for all of us lemon lovers!
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Patty
is there a replacement for the pine nuts
Karishma
Hi Patty,
I'd recommend walnuts or almonds!
Crystal
Made it last night and this was fantastic! May be my new favorite pasta dish. Served with a garlicky shrimp scampi but I enjoyed the leftovers on their own equally well. Thanks for the recipe! This one will go in my rotation!
Karishma
Hi Crystal, I'm so happy to hear that! And that sounds *incredible* with the shrimp scampi 🙂