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–+ servings
lemon pesto sauce with lemon zest as garnish in a white bowl with a gold fork on a white table

Lemon Pesto Sauce

Kristina Todini, RDN
Lemon Pesto Sauce, a super simple basil pesto sauce recipe with tangy lemon juice and lemon zest. Ready in under 10 minutes and freezes well!
5 star (1 rating)
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Sauces, Dressings + Dips
Cuisine Gluten Free, Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Servings 8 servings
Calories 178 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 food processor
  • 1 citrus zester

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts or pumpkins seeds if nut-free
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast if vegan
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prep basil and lemons: Start by washing fresh basil leaves under running water or submerging them in a bowl of water and shaking them to remove any dirt. Use a salad spinner to dry leaves or lay them flat on a plate or kitchen towel to dry.
    2 cups fresh basil, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Blend ingredients: Toss the cleaned and dried basil in a food processor with lemon zest and lemon juice. Next, add nuts or seeds and garlic cloves. Pulse until finely chopped, slowly drizzling in olive oil until the chopped ingredients are well coated in oil but still chunky.
    ⅓ cup pine nuts, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Add seasonings to finish: Finish by adding in the cheese (or nutritional yeast), salt, and pepper. Give the pesto a taste and add more seasonings until it's flavored to your liking.
    ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Notes

Nuts or seeds? Traditional pesto sauce uses pine nuts, but any nuts or seeds are perfect for pesto. We used pumpkin seeds in the photos of this recipe.
Tools Needed: food processor or blender, knife set, cutting board, salad spinner
Prep ahead: Make this simple pesto up to 2-3 days before serving, or freeze until ready to use
Leftovers and storage: Leftover pesto should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months (possibly longer).
Nutrition notes: This recipe made as written (with parmesan cheese and pine nuts). Using other nuts, seeds, cheese, or nutritional yeast will change the nutrition information of this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 178kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 104mgPotassium: 65mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 352IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1mg
Keyword lemon pesto sauce
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