This luscious Pasta with Lemon Pesto sauce tastes like an Amalfi Summer in a bowl! It's a quick and easy dinner or lunch that comes together in no time.
There's just something refreshing about a citrusy basil pesto, and when it's paired with tagliatelle and roasted walnuts, you take wholesome to a whole new level.
If you loved this easy pasta recipe, try my Chopped Antipasto Salad and Cheese Burger Bowls next! If you're interested in my personal story, check out my Eating for Perimenopause article.
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Why This Recipe Works
Some days just go so quickly that it's dinner time before you can even think about what to cook. That's why I make an effort to meal prep, but some days that doesn't work out either.
When that happens, I like to make an easy, lazy dinner or lunch recipe that won't compromise on what my family needs for a nutritious meal.
This pasta with lemon pesto sauce is a family favorite in my house and I can have peace of mind knowing it's nourishing for my daughter with MBL, and affect my hormone balance. And honestly, who doesn't love a fresh basil pasta?
Pesto Presto
What I love about making pesto is that it's another extremely versatile, easy Italian recipe. While a classic pesto uses fresh basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, salt and olive oil blended together into this flavorful sauce, there are so many different combinations to try.
I learned at cooking school that pesto means "to pound" or "to crush" in Italian. Traditionally, a mortar and pestle would have been used, today a blender or food processor is so much more convenient, especially for busy moms!
While this lemon pesto sauce makes me feel like I'm eating pasta on an Italian Summer's day, here are a few other pesto ideas to try:
- Spinach pesto with walnuts and lemon.
- Red pepper pesto with almonds, chili flakes and paprika.
- Mint, basil and orange pesto with walnuts
- Nasturtium leaves with peppadew and pine nuts
- Sundried tomato and olive pesto
- Arugula pesto with lemon, roasted garlic and black pepper
Or if you have any other pesto combinations that you love, leave a comment at the end of this post and let me know.
Ingredients
This homemade pesto pasta uses some of my favorite ingredients that keep me nourished and balanced while experiencing perimenopause:
- Walnuts: I try to eat walnuts once or twice a week for their omega 3 content, their polyphenols, vitamin E as well as their gut nurturing benefits.
- Fresh basil: to increase my antioxidant intake and because it's gut friendly. Also, it's basil, who doesn't love fresh basil?
- Parmesan cheese: for extra probiotics. An added bonus is that it's considered safe for those who are sensitive to lactose.
- Pasta: I like to use tagliatelle, but you can use whichever pasta you enjoy.
- Olive oil: Use the best quality for this pasta with walnut pesto.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Step 1: Get all the ingredients together and prepare the lemon pesto. Once blended, add in the lemon juice and seasoning.
Step 2: Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook until firm but tender.
Step 3: Keep aside half a cup of pasta water for your sauce and drain the rest.
Step 4: It's time to add your pesto. Then add a little of the pasta water you kept aside.
Step 5: Stir through, taste test, and add extra lemon juice if needed.
Step 6: Top with the rest of the parmesan, some fresh basil and lemon zest before serving your lemon pesto sauce pasta.
Hint: Roast the walnuts first for extra flavor, it's worth the extra step in your pasta with walnut pesto.
Substitutions
If you have special dietary needs or are simply running low on some key ingredients for this lemon pesto sauce, try these options instead:
- Dairy free: use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
- Out of basil: use arugula or mint instead
- Nut allergies: use roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead.
- Gluten free: choose a gluten free pasta instead of regular pasta.
- No walnuts: try almonds or pine nuts instead.
Variations
Some other ingredients I like to use in my pasta with lemon pesto sauce are:
- Add a tiny bit of chili with sundried tomatoes, olives or anchovies for a salty and spicy flavor twist.
- Mix in some roasted peppers or tomatoes just before serving.
- Serve with a portion of grilled chicken breast or fish for added protein
- For a creamy version, add 2 tablespoons of cream or Greek yogurt to the pesto before mixing with the hot pasta.
- Make this pasta with walnut pesto into a meal with my chopped antipasto salad recipe here.
Equipment
For this pasta with lemon pesto sauce, you will need a food processer: to blend the lemon pesto. I also used a pot and colander to cook and drain the pasta. Bonus points, this weeknight pasta dinner can be mixed together and served right from the pot!
You'll need a cutting board and knife to prepare the ingredients and a pan to fry the walnuts in.
Storage
This lemon pesto pasta will last up to 5 days in the fridge, making it a great meal prep dinner! The best part is that the flavors will continue to infuse while it's stored in the fridge.
I don't recommend freezing this pasta with walnut pesto recipe although the walnut pesto freezes like a dream.
Top Tips
- Make a larger batch for work lunches and pack with a side salad and/or seed crackers.
- Make extra lemon pesto to add to toast, salads, scrambled eggs or even a frittata for one.
- Roast the garlic first for added garlicy flavor.
- Be careful to gently zest the peel, the added pith (or white part of the lemon) will make the pesto more bitter.
FAQ
This lemon pesto pasta can be served warm or at room temperature on a hot Summer day.
Yes, you can reheat this creamy lemon pasta on a low to medium heat with a little added water.
Yes, stock will work in place of reserved pasta water in this lemon pesto sauce pasta recipe.
Pesto is best added once a meal is already cooked as it is a fresh, "raw" sauce.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with pasts with lemon sauce:
Pasta With Lemon Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz (350g) tagliatelle pasta (or any ribbon pasta)
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Prepare the pesto
- In a food processor or blender, combine basil leaves, walnuts, garlic, half of the Parmesan and lemon zest.
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth pesto forms.
- Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
Combine pasta and sauce
- Toss the hot pasta with the pesto in a large bowl.
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce and help it coat the noodles evenly. Taste and squeeze over extra lemon juice if needed.
Serve
- Plate the pasta and garnish with the remaining Parmesan shavings, extra lemon zest and fresh basil leaves.
- Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
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