Caramelised lemon pesto pasta
A bright and zingy twist on an otherwise traditional pesto! Fresh lemon is caramelised in a browned butter and acts as the base for this wonderful pasta sauce, before adding vibrant, green homemade pesto. The perfect spring or summer pasta dish!
I am a lemon pasta hater, loud and proud. Personally I find it totally overpowering and not enjoyable, at all. You will never catch me eating a pasta al limone, but caramelised lemon and pesto pasta? Take my money. I actually surprised myself with how good this was - it has all of the wonderful qualities of pesto but with the added nuttiness of browned butter and citrus notes of lemon. Cooking the lemon does help mellow its sharpness and I think that works really well in this dish, as opposed to just adding a squeeze of lemon to the pesto itself. Think of it as pesto with a lil glow up.
Why should you make this?
It’s fresh and light - and makes for a fantastic vegetarian pasta dish.
It works well with practically any protein - if you wanted to serve this alongside a fillet of salmon or perhaps a grilled chicken breast, it would work wonderfully.
Only needs a handful of ingredients - butter, lemon, pesto and pasta is all you need!
Comes together in minutes - especially if you make the pesto in a blender - this is truly a 15 minute meal.
You can make the pesto in advance - simply store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Ingredients you will need for this caramelised lemon pesto
For the pesto:
Basil - I usually buy two bunches from the supermarket - yielding roughly 100g
Pine nuts - adds a lovely nuttiness to the pesto, as you might imagine.
Garlic - one garlic clove is more than enough for pesto - less really is more!
Olive oil - personally I like to go for a milder, lighter-bodied olive oil so as not to overpower the basil.
Parmigiano reggiano - for that quintessential pesto flavour.
Pecorino sardo or pecorino romano - traditional pesto calls for pecorino sardo - a firm cheese made from sheep’s milk, but as it can sometimes be a bit harder to find, pecorino romano can easily be used in place.
For the caramelised lemon pasta:
Lemon - it brings a lovely, summery and zingy acidity to the dish.
Butter - unsalted butter cut into small cubes that will be browned to nutty perfection!
Bucatini - this is my pasta of choice for this dish - its lip-smacking quality is the perfect pairing for this sauce! However you could also use spaghetti, tagliatelle, or a short shape like cavatappi or fusilli!
How to make this caramelised lemon pesto pasta
1. Make the pesto
Blend basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino and olive oil with an ice cube. Or you can follow the traditional method and use a pestle and mortar.
2. Cook the pasta
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and season generously with salt before adding the pasta and cooking until al dente.
3. Brown the butter
Add cubed butter to a sauté pan and allow it to slowly start to brown.
4. Caramelise lemon
Add the lemon to the browned butter and let it caramelise, swirling the pan frequently.
5. Add the pasta to the sauce
Remove from the heat and add al dente pasta and the pesto to the butter lemon sauce, then vigorously toss to combine.
6. Final touches
Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Tips, tricks and how to store pesto
Wash the basil in iced water to keep it green - not only will this clean the leaves, but icing the basil leaves help keep them bright green.
Add an ice cube to the blender - this also helps to keep the pesto bright green and helps emulsify the sauce.
If you don’t have basil - you can use other greens and herbs like spinach, kale, parsley or even sage for an earthier flavour.
Can I use store bought pesto? - absolutely! Buying store bought pesto helps make this meal even quicker and easier to make.
Pesto can be stored for up to 5 days - once made, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or alternatively freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray, pop out into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you’re looking for something to serve alongside this pasta, why not try this crunchy green salad or for the perfect appetiser, this tomato and fermented chilli tonnato sauce dish?
That’s about it for this lovely, summery pasta! I hope you love this caramelised lemon and pesto pasta as much as I do - and if you do make it, please tag me on Instagram or Pinterest - I love seeing what you’ve made!
Caramelised Lemon Pesto Pasta
Serves 2
Ingredients
Pesto (blender method)
100g basil leaves
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mild olive oil
40g Parmigiano reggiano
30g Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano
Caramelised lemon pasta
225g bucatini or pasta of choice
50g unsalted butter
1/2 unwaxed lemon, cut into small cubes (keep the rind on!)
Parmigiano reggiano, finely grated, to serve
Method
Start by making the pesto - this step can be done in advance with the pesto stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Pick the basil leaves from their stems and soak in a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat the leaves dry with paper towel.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender along with one ice cube and blend until smooth or to the consistency of your liking. You can keep the cheese cubed if using a high speed blender - I like doing this to 1) save time but 2) gives you a bit more texture in the pesto which I love.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and generously season with salt.
Add the bucatini and cook for 1-2 minutes less than packet instructions.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sauté pan and allow it to start to sizzle and splutter as if you were browning it.
Add the diced lemon and continue to cook, swirling the pan frequently. The butter will start to brown and the lemon will caramelise.
Add the al dente pasta to the butter and lemon and stir and toss well to coat all of the pasta in the sauce.
Take the pan off heat and stir through 3-4 tablespoons of pesto, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to help bind it all together.
Divide between bowls, top with extra grated parmigiano reggiano and enjoy!
