It's no secret that I love lemon... So I'm offering you a recipe with lemon peels to replace basil in a traditional pesto alla genovese. The result is really interesting. Note that it is recommended to roast your walnuts for an enhanced flavor.
Quantity: 1 cup pesto, 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Ingredients :
- Pasta of your choice, 500g (I like Vesuvio or Orecchiette for this)
- Peels of 2 lemons
- ½ cup roasted walnuts
- ½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, cut into large chunks
- 1 clove of garlic
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
More parmesan, basil leaves and walnuts, to serve.
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously. Add the pasta of your choice and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.
- In a blender, blend the lemon zest and toasted walnuts until very finely chopped. Add the Parmesan and garlic, then blend again until smooth.
- With the blender running, very slowly add the olive oil until the pesto forms. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, then blend again to combine.
- Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and add the pasta directly. Mix well and add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Continue to stir and serve immediately. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, basil and crushed walnuts if desired.