Lemon Pesto Pasta

This lemon pesto pasta features tender noodles twirled in a creamy, zesty, and lightly nutty lemon pesto sauce. This pasta is perfect for lemon lovers, as it uses fresh lemon juice and rind as the zingy base of the pesto, instead of traditional basil leaves. Pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil round out the sauce, creating a light and refreshing dish brimming with summery flavors.

Why You’ll Love This Dish

• Unique zippy, subtly sweet flavor
• Delightfully creamy texture
• Uses a handful of simple ingredients
• Comes together in just 25 minutes
• Easily customize with your favorite protein, veggies, and garnish (like herbs, breadcrumbs, or nuts)

Ingredients

• Pasta – this pesto goes wonderfully with any type of pasta. Our favorites are linguine, fettuccine, rotini, and cavatappi.
• Lemon rind and juice – the zippy base of this pesto is lemon rind and juice. We like to add a little of the rind and juice to the pasta water too to help infuse the pasta with a subtle lemon flavor.
• Extra virgin olive oil – the flavorful base for any good pesto sauce.
• Pine nuts – add a buttery, subtly sweet flavor to the sauce. We use raw pine nuts, but you can also toast them to add more depth and nuttiness to the sauce. You can also sub in cashews or blanched almonds for a different variation.
• Parmesan or Asiago cheese – gives this sauce a sharp and nutty flavor and rich creaminess.
• Garlic – adds subtle sharpness.
• Granulated sugar – to temper the sharpness of the lemon juice and rind.
• Pasta water – starchy pasta water is perfect for melding the different ingredients into a rich, smooth sauce that clings to the noodles.
• Salt and pepper – to round out the seasoning.

Tips for Making Lemon Pesto Pasta

1. Remove rind carefully – lemon rinds includes the outer yellow zest, which contains the flavorful citrus oils, and a touch of the white pith. Use a potato peeler to remove a single layer of the rind and avoid taking too much of the pith. This will minimize the bitterness of the pesto and keep it on the sweeter side.
2. Flavor the pasta water – we love to add a little bit of lemon juice and lemon rind to the pasta water while it boils and while the pasta cooks to infuse the pasta with an extra bit of lemon flavor. This is optional, but highly recommended! See the recipe for recommended quantities.
3. Use pasta water in the sauce – this pasta water is extra loaded with flavor if you infuse it with lemon rind and juice and is a great addition to the sauce. Pasta water is also very starchy, making it perfect for blending with the pesto and creating a smooth, thick, and naturally creamy sauce that clings to the noodles. We add the pesto to the noodles first, then add a little pasta water and toss to mix. Add more pesto and/or pasta water, as needed, until you’re happy with the consistency and flavor. See the recipe card for recommended quantities.
4. Use a food processor – we recommend using a food processor to break up the lemon rind, nuts, and cheese into small pieces. It’s also great for blending the drier ingredients with the olive oil and lemon juice, making for a smoother, more cohesive sauce.

How to Make Lemon Pesto Pasta

Use a potato peeler to remove the rind off of the lemons. Be careful to only take the yellow part of the outer skin (zest) and a small amount of the white pith, which is fairly bitter. Juice enough lemons to yield 5 tablespoons of lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons). Set the lemon rinds and juice aside.

Add water, ¼ of the lemon rinds, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a large pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to package directions for al dente pasta (about 7-8 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Remove the lemon peels. Drain the pasta and set aside. *adding rinds and juice helps infuse the pasta with extra lemon flavor, but you can omit this step if preferred.

In a food processor, combine the remaining lemon rinds, garlic, nuts, cheese, sugar, salt and pepper. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the olive oil and remaining 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and pulse until just incorporated (about 20 seconds). The mixture will look fairly creamy. Set aside.

Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add ⅓ of the pesto and ¼ cup of the pasta water to start. You’ll want the mixture to be runny enough to resemble a sauce, but thick enough to cling to the noodles. Taste and add more pesto, pasta water, and/or salt and pepper according to your tastes. *We generally use most of the pesto and about ⅔ to ¾ cups reserved pasta water.

Divide among plates and garnish with additional cheese, pine nuts, and/or fresh herbs. Serve with shrimp, chicken, or another protein to make it a complete meal.

How to Store

Store leftover lemon pesto pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add the desired amount of pasta to a skillet and add a few splashes of chicken broth or reserved pasta water (if you kept some on hand) to loosen up the lemon pesto sauce. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed throughout.

Recipe Variations

• Protein – add a protein, like shrimp, chicken, or white fish, to this dish to make it a balanced meal.
• Veggies – spinach, zucchini, yellow squash, peas, asparagus, broccoli, or broccolini pair well with this pasta.
• Sides – homemade dinner rolls, breadsticks, or white bread are great for soaking up extra pesto sauce.
• Nuts – we stick to classic pine nuts in this recipe, but you can also try cashews, blanched almonds, or macadamia nuts too for a different flavor (please note we have not tried any nut apart from pine nuts, but would recommend using nuts without skins). Try toasting nuts before using for extra rich, buttery and nutty flavor.
• Sweetener- we use granulated sugar to balance the tanginess of the lemons, but you can also try honey or another sweetener instead.
• Toppings – sprinkle a little bit of fresh basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary, or thyme before serving. Garnish with additional raw or toasted pine nuts, fresh lemon zest, additional Parmesan cheese, or even lightly toasted breadcrumbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out our other pasta recipes

• Lemon pepper pasta
• Sundried tomato pasta
• Creamy Cajun pasta
• Creamy avocado pasta
• Avocado pesto pasta
• Roasted red pepper pasta

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