Lemons are one of my favorite foods/fruits/flavors. I am always looking for new ways to use them, particularly when gifted with my favorite Meyer lemons, which I can no longer grow high in the snowy mountains. Last weekend my brother raided his tree and brought 20+ pounds of Meyers to his beach house, where we met him for a few days. I was able to turn that bounty into 16 pints of lemon curd to share with everyone.
We also collaborated on a pasta dish utilizing a few leftover Meyers. He made some yummy fresh pasta (although store-bought will do just fine) and I whipped up a lemon pesto to toss with the long strands of goodness. It’s a very simple dish that is made in about 20-25 minutes, start to finish. Pairs perfectly with a salad and nice loaf of sourdough.
Now, I was skeptical at first when I heard of lemon pesto, but being a lemon fiend I knew I had to try it. There are multiple recipes out there, so feel free to experiment by adding garlic or parsley, substituting cashews for the almonds, etc. We all agreed it was a nice departure from the typical basil pesto and really brightened up a cold winter night.
Lemon Pesto Pasta
1 pound pasta
4 lemons, peeled thinly
½ - ¾ cup slivered almonds*
½ cup parmesan
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Put your water on to boil and start peeling the lemons.
Take half the peel and put into the water pot. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then strain out the peel and discard. (This helps to flavor the pasta.) Add in your pasta and cook to al dente.
In a food processor, place the remaining peels and the almonds. Pulse until you have a sandy crumb mixture. Add in the parmesan and pulse for 10-20 seconds. With the processor running on low, drizzle in enough olive oil to make a loose paste. When emulsified, add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain your pasta, reserving about a cup of water. Place your pasta back in the pot on low, adding in your pesto. Mix, adding water as you stir to help make a sauce. Turn off the heat and serve with extra parmesan.
*I have also used the dry roasted, sliced almonds from Trader Joes and they work just fine.
Additional lemon recipes on Eating Suburbia:
Lemon Simple syrup (for iced teas, cocktails)
Lemon Curd Mousse Cake (aka cake of 1,000 bowls)
Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Meyer Lemon & Quinoa Salad
And if that isn’t enough to satisfy you, you can find a recipe for Meyer Lemon and Gigante Bean Open-Face Sandwich in my second cookbook (Eating Suburbia) and recipes for Meyer Lemon Champagne Preserves, Meyer Lemon Cream Dressing, and Blueberry Lemon Cake in my third cookbook (Food Is Love).