Lemon pesto is a typical preparation from the island of Procida, traditionally used to dress spaghetti.
Mine, to be honest, is not a true pesto because I did not use a mortar to prepare it, but a more convenient and practical blender.
Some ingredients like parmesan, pine nuts, basil, and of course extra virgin olive oil are the same as in the classic Genoese pesto, but here, obviously, the stars are the fragrant lemons from the Sorrento coast, strictly untreated, using both the zest and the juice.
In addition to dressing pasta, lemon pesto is great as a sauce to accompany various main courses and to spread on bruschetta with melted cheese.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then… let’s cook and eat!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 lemons (untreated)
- 1.75 oz pine nuts (or almonds)
- 2.82 oz grated parmesan cheese
- to taste fine salt
- A few leaves basil (fresh)
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 0.42 cup extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Citrus Juicer
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Jar with airtight closure
- 1 Grater
Steps
For the preparation of lemon pesto, it is important to use untreated lemons, which should still be washed thoroughly under running water.
Once the lemons are washed and dried, use a peeler to obtain the zest of both lemons, being careful not to take the white part of the peel, which could make the pesto bitter. Use a citrus juicer to extract the juice from one of the two lemons (reserving the option to add the juice from the second lemon to taste).
Collect the zest and juice of the lemons in a blender, then add the pine nuts and a clove of fresh garlic.
Wash and dry a few basil leaves and add them to the blender with the grated cheese and a pinch of salt.
At this point, close and turn on the blender, and simultaneously add the oil slowly. If you do not have a blender with an opening in the lid, add the oil along with all the other ingredients.
Once ready, put the lemon pesto in a glass container with an airtight seal, taking care to cover it with a thin layer of oil.
Store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it 😉.
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