The lemon pesto is a super fresh, no-cook recipe that’s incredibly versatile. In the countryside, our trees are full of lemons; I gathered quite a few and used some to make this delicious lemon pesto, following the original recipe from Procida. Fragrant, extremely creamy, and truly delightful, homemade lemon pesto is prepared in 5 minutes without cooking anything. But where do you use it? It’s perfect for making bruschetta, on croutons, to dress pasta, salads, and also as a sauce/dip to accompany meat or fish. You absolutely have to try it; it’ll be one of the recipes you’ll make most often this summer (and beyond)!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 5 leaves basil
- 2 lemons
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper
Steps
Lemon pesto is super easy and quick to prepare. First, clean the lemons thoroughly, rinse and dry them. Peel the lemons to take only the zest, not the white part, and squeeze the juice.
In a food processor, place the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, basil, almonds, grated Parmesan, salt, and black pepper, then blend all the ingredients well.
Lemon pesto is ready to use or store.
Advice:
Lemon pesto keeps in the fridge for a couple of days; alternatively, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. I recommend putting it in small coffee cups, so you only defrost what you need. For this recipe, preferably use organic lemons, untreated or at least ones where you know the origin, as we will also use the peel. Instead of almonds, you can use pine nuts or walnuts. For an extra touch of freshness and flavor, also add a few mint leaves or prepare it without basil, adding mint instead. If you like, you can also add a clove of garlic.
More lemon recipes HERE
