Almond Pesto with Lemon

Fresh homemade basil pesto with lemon and almonds in a glass jar. Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, and more.

Bright, fresh, and ready in minutes! This almond pesto has a bright, lemony kick, and brings zesty Mediterranean flavor to pasta, fish, veggies, and more. Made in your food processor or blender, it's easy enough for weeknights and freezes well too.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Servings:

Ingredients

▢ ¼ cup slivered almonds
▢ 2 cloves garlic peeled and trimmed
▢ 2 ounce chunk of Parmesan cheese about ¼ cup, grated
▢ 2 cups basil leaves, packed remove stems
▢ 1 lemon juice and zest
▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Toast almonds: Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast, stirring, until golden brown (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a plate and spread out to cool quickly.
¼ cup slivered almonds
Wash, dry, and stem your basil: Use a salad spinner to remove as much moisture as possible, or wrap your basil leaves in a tea towel to dry them. Remove as much stem as possible (it can make your pesto bitter).
2 cups basil leaves, packed
Assemble the pesto: Add the garlic, cooled almonds, and Parmesan to a food processor. Pulse until broken up into small, crumbly pieces.
2 cloves garlic, 2 ounce chunk of Parmesan cheese
Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add the lemon juice, salt, and basil. Pulse again until finely chopped.
1 lemon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Using long pulses, process the pesto while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, and continue pulsing until the pesto is uniformly blended. Do not over-process...traditional pesto is not pureed. Add more olive oil if necessary to achieve a loose paste consistency.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Adjust seasoning: Transfer the pesto to a bowl immediately (this prevents it from getting too warm sitting next to the motor of the food processor). Give it a taste, and add more salt by the pinch as needed. It may need a pinch or two more, depending on the quality of your Parmesan cheese.
To toss with pasta: cook pasta according to the box directions, saving about ⅓ cup hot pasta water before draining. Add the pesto to a large bowl, and whisk in the hot pasta water until the cheese is melted. Add pasta and toss to coat.

Notes

Substitutions:

Whole, unpeeled almonds can work in place of slivered almonds. Roughly chop them before toasting.
Pecorino Romano cheese is an acceptable substitute for Parmesan.

Food safety and storage:

Homemade pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store in an airtight container.
Pesto can also be frozen for up to three months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Leave plenty of room at the top for expansion, and add a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning.

Nutrition