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A jar of lemon pesto with a wooden spoon resting on a plate with lemon slices.
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4.86 from 7 votes

Lemon Pesto

An easy summer sauce, this lemon pesto is made with three whole lemons, plus garlic, pine nuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can make it ahead and serve it as a dip for crudité, toss it with pasta, or drizzle over roasted vegetables.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American/Mediterranean
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 16 servings (about 2 cups)
Author: Kelly Vaughan

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 lemons, 1 juiced, and the remaining 2 chopped
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Prep the lemons. You will need 2 whole lemons and the juice from a third lemon for this recipe. Wash the 3 lemons thoroughly. Juice one lemon, save the juice, and discard the lemon rind. Trim off the bumpy ends of the remaining two lemons, then cut each in half the long way, and slice each half into quarters. Remove the seeds and trim out the thick white membrane core from each segment, and discard.
  • Puree the lemons. In a high-powered blender, add the 2 diced lemons, the lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper and blend on medium speed until the lemons have broken down and begin to look smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Add the olive oil. With the blender running on low speed, slowly stream in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Increase the speed and blend for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Serve or store. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil used in this recipe.
  • Blender Note: We tested this recipe using a high-powered blender. If you’re working with a blender with less horsepower, it may help to chop your lemons even more finely by hand before adding them to the blender with the other ingredients. 

Nutrition

Calories: 133.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.5g | Protein: 2.7g | Fat: 13.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 4.3mg | Sodium: 246.2mg | Potassium: 46.9mg | Fiber: 0.7g | Sugar: 0.6g | Vitamin A: 54IU | Vitamin C: 10.9mg | Calcium: 80.6mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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