how to make pesto Archives

lemon pesto

May 6, 2026

This lemon pesto is pesto, elevated. Pesto the ‘sauce ‘of versatility: whizz it up and stir it through hot pasta, throw a salad together & you have yourself a meal in 20 minutes. Pesto is simple to make, can be made ahead of time & stored in the fridge for those throw together meals or […]

lemon pesto

This lemon pesto is lively with a balanced but dominate lemon flavor, thanks to strips of the lemon rind and lemon juice. A little basil adds the familiar pesto flavor along with the usual suspects: garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Servings: tablespoons

Calories: 94kcal

US Customary - Metric

2 large thick-skinned lemons
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/3 cups finely grated fresh parmesan
3/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup basil leaves, packed
1 garlic clove, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil*

Wash the lemons with hot water and pat dry (this is removing any wax or pesticides). Using a vegetable peeler, peel the yellow rind from the lemons, avoiding as much as the white pith as possible. You’ll need about 1.25 oz (35g) of peel.
Into the bowl of a food processor, add the peel, juice, parmesan, pine nuts, basil, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz until very finely chopped and a smooth paste forms. Scrape the mixture into a small bowl.
Gradually whisk the olive oil into the lemon peel mixture in about 5 batches; whisking until each addition of oil is incorporated before adding more. To note: the oil may separate slightly over time as it stands. If you’re not using the pesto now, scrape into a 1 1/2 cup to 2 cup jar and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of pesto.

Notes

Note: Olive oil, especially extra virgin extra virgin olive oil, contains polyphenols (antioxidants) that, when blended in a small appliance with blades at high speed causes the olive to break down releasing bitter-tasting polyphenols which are normally protected by the fatty acids. This is why I stir or whisk the oil in gently after the mixture (pesto) has been blended into a paste and don’t add it to the food processor as most recipes direct. The pesto can be made the traditional way of using a mortar and pestle.

Nutrition