This Lemon Basil Pesto includes all of the traditional ingredients of a Pesto Genovese with a little fresh lemon juice added in. I love the acidity and brightness the lemon brings to this simple pesto.
Ingredient Notes
Nuts- Pine nuts are of course the most traditional and have a wonderful buttery flavor, but you can use any nuts you prefer. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios are a few other good options.
Cheese- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from Italy is the best choice, but a domestic parmesan is totally fine too! You can even omit the cheese for a vegan version, which is how my old boss from Rome makes his pesto.
Olive oil- Make sure to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil as it will greatly impact the flavor.
Recipe Steps
First, toast the pine nuts, or whichever nuts you’re using. This can be done in either a skillet or in the oven.
Once the nuts are cool, add them to a food processor or blender with the garlic, and pulse until finely ground.
Add the basil and a little drizzle of olive oil and pulse to chop. Then, slowly stream in the remaining olive oil while blending. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, and cheese. Season with salt, and you’re all set.
10 Ways to Use Basil Pesto
- The obvious choice is with pasta. It’s great warm or with a cold pasta salad.
- As a sandwich spread alone or mixed with mayo.
- Stirred into grains such as farro, quinoa or barley. Serve warm or cold.
- On pizza instead of tomato sauce with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.
- Stirred into soups and stews.
- With meat, such as chicken, shrimp, steak or lamb.
- With roasted or grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, fennel and mushrooms.
- On bruschetta or crostini.
- Paired with eggs and toast.
- Mixed with tomato sauce on pasta.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- To make this recipe vegan, simply leave out the cheese! Some people may substitute nutritional yeast, but I find this recipe really great without the cheese. The chef I used to work for from Rome actually didn’t add cheese to his pesto, believe it or not!
- Use ingredients you have on hand to save time and money. If you already have almonds in your pantry, don’t bother buying pine nuts. If you have domestic parmesan rather than parmigiano reggiano, just use that. This should be a very simple, approachable recipe.
Pesto should actually never be cooked. The basil leaves will discolor and turn dark. Simply toss the pesto sauce with whatever warm food you’re serving it with, or serve it with room temperature foods, such as a sandwich.
If your pesto is bitter, you most likely burned the nuts. Pine nuts burn very easily. If you find it too difficult to toast properly on the stove top, try toasting them in the oven and keep a close eye on them.
Another possibility is that the olive oil you used is a bit bitter. Try to find the best quality, fruity tasting extra virgin olive oil you can afford. I love California Olive Ranch as a great everyday olive oil.
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Related Recipes
- Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
- Golden Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Pesto
- Seared Baby Lamb Chops with Mint Pesto
- Ramp Pesto Crostini with Ricotta
- Basil Mint Pesto
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Lemon Basil Pesto
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 录 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Lemon Basil Pesto includes all of the traditional ingredients of a Pesto Genovese with a little fresh lemon juice added in. I love the acidity and brightness the lemon brings to this simple pesto.
Ingredients
- 6 cups (2 bunches) basil leaves, loosely packed聽
- 陆 cup pine nuts or nuts of choice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 戮 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of half a lemon (optional)
- 2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
- 陆 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated (omit if vegan)
- Kosher salt and freshly聽cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts: To toast pine nuts, add them to a small, cold pan. Turn heat to medium. Toss frequently as nuts gently toast, for about 3-4 minutes or until fragrant and golden, being cautious not to burn. You can also toast them in a 350F oven for 5-7 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool to room temperature.
- Combine nuts, garlic and basil: Add nuts and garlic in a food processor or good quality blender, and pulse until finely ground. Add basil, season lightly with salt and drizzle in a small amount of the oil. Process until finely chopped, but do not over-process.
- Add oil, lemon and cheese: Stream in olive oil slowly while blending until emulsified. Add cheese and pulse to combine. Stir in lemon zest (if using) and juice. Season with salt. Add more lemon juice or zest to taste, if desired. Enjoy.
Notes
You can easily cut this recipe in half or double it, if desired.
You can use almonds, walnuts or pistachios instead of pine nuts. For any of these nuts, toast at 350F for 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring half way through. Cool completely before using.
For a thicker pesto, cut back on the oil. Start with 陆 cup and add more, as desired, for the consistency you want.
Use domestic parmesan cheese if you can’t find the Italian variety.
To store, place in a jar and coat the top with enough olive oil to cover. This will create an airtight seal. Store in the fridge for up to a couple weeks, or in the freezer for up to 4 months or so. Omit cheese if planning to freeze.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Grind, blend
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 74mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 3mg
I use half badil ANF cilantro…..and if I don’t have pine nuts I sure pecans …..and follow the rest of the recipe ….it is so delicous.
I love the sound of the substitutions you made!! Sounds amazing. Glad you enjoyed it 馃檪