Lemon Pesto Pasta with Artichokes

Main Dishes

Feb 22

There is nothing more comforting than a bowl full of pasta, and our Lemon Pesto Pasta with Artichokes is no exception. This pesto sauce is bright and lemony, and a complete twist from the traditional garlicky, basil pesto. This easy to make pesto has a unique flavor that is unforgettable. It’s fresh and delicate, and so flavorful in its subtlety that it makes this pasta dish very memorable.

Combined with fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, slivered almonds, and a few secret ingredients, this pasta is sure to become one of your family favorites! Serve on its own with a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano, or alongside grilled salmon or chicken, this pasta recipe is a fresh spin on traditional pesto recipes. Interested in knowing more details about where this Italian lemon pesto originated? Visit our Blog Comments & Tips for details.

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RECIPE

(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)

Recipe updated as of 3/21/22

Step by Step Instructions

PREPARATION

Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.

STEP 1

Slice ⅓ cup fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and cut into rough 1 inch in length pieces, and set aside. Using a fine grater, grate ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving, and set aside. Finely chop 2 tablespoons fresh chives, and set aside.

Slice & cut parmesan.

Measure parmesan.

Finely grate parmesan.

Finely chop chives.

STEP 2

Drain and rinse 2 cups *Whole Tender Artichoke Hearts* packed in water (about ⅔ of a 33.5 ounce jar - see Note below), and set aside.
***Note:*** If the artichoke hearts are very small, leave them whole (otherwise they will fall apart when tossed with the pasta). If they are large, then halve them lengthwise (see Notes Section below for details on taste testing).

STEP 3

Using a *potato peeler* (or vegetable peeler), remove long strips of lemon zest from about 5 large lemons (about 1 cup total), and set aside (be sure to avoid the white pith underneath the peel, as you want only the yellow lemon zest for this recipe).

STEP 4a

Fill a large stock pot (6 ½ quart pot) about ⅔ full of water (about 3-4 quarts of water). Add only ½ cup of lemon zest strips (half the lemon peels), 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt, stir to combine, and cover. On high heat, bring to a boil, uncover, and boil for 2 minutes (no more, or it will give the pasta a bitter taste).

Peel, sugar & salt.

Stir to combine.

Cover & bring to boil.

Boil for 2 minutes.

Pot of boiling lemon water sitting on a stove. A slotted ladle is removing the peel to discard. — STEP 4b

Remove and discard the peel with a *slotted skimmer ladle* (or slotted spoon).

Step 5

Bring back to a rolling boil, add 1 pound thin spaghetti (or regular spaghetti) to the boiling lemon water, and cook according to package instructions for al dente pasta (stirring occasionally to prevent the strands of pasta from sticking to one another). While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto.

Add spaghetti.

Stir to separate.

STEP 6

To prepare the pesto, add the remaining ½ cup of the lemon zest strips to a food processor, along with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, sliced and cut Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (⅓ cup), remaining ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ scant teaspoon ground white pepper (or black pepper), ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste - see Note below), and 1 garlic clove (optional). Process for about 15 to 20 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil to the mixture, and process until oil is just incorporated (about 10 seconds - mixture should NOT be completely smooth). It should have the appearance of a coarse yellow paste.

Note: Crushed red pepper flakes add a touch of heat to this recipe. It’s meant to be a delicate and fresh pasta with a strong lemon flavor. If you want less heat, reduce to ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes. However, if you prefer spicy, then add more crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Add ingredients.

Like coarse sand.

Add olive oil.

Like a coarse paste.

STEP 7a

When the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, and set aside. Then drain the pasta (do not rinse), and set pasta aside for a moment. Turn the heat for the stock pot on low, and add 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, lemon pesto, drained pasta, and ½ to ¾ cup pasta water. Using tongs, gently toss to coat each strand of pasta with the lemon pesto.

Reserve pasta water.

Drain pasta.

Juice, pesto & water.

Toss to coat pasta.

Stock pot filled with lemon pesto pasta with artichokes, and chopped chives on top. Ready to toss with tongs. — STEP 7b

Once coated, add drained and rinsed artichoke hearts and chopped fresh chives, and toss again. If the pasta looks too dry, add remaining ¼ or ½ cup of pasta water (as needed), and toss again (the pesto should coat the pasta like a thin paste - see Note below). Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.
***Note:*** *This is not a saucy pasta recipe. The lemon pesto is meant to coat the pasta like a thin paste. If needed, add more pasta water a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.*

SERVING

Serve immediately and garnish with remaining ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and more chopped chives (optional).

Notes:

We tested various fresh, frozen, and jarred artichoke hearts and found that these Whole Tender Artichokes Hearts packed in water (that are already cooked) yielded the best flavor and texture results. They added a nice acidic taste to the pasta. If you are using frozen or fresh artichokes that need to be cooked, cook them according to package instructions. Then add cooked artichokes to the pasta during Step 7b.
For details on how to customize this recipe to your specific tastes, visit the Pimp Our Recipe section of our Blog Comments & Tips below.
Makes 6 servings.

BACK TO RECIPE

VIDEO

How to Make this Bright & Lemony Pasta in Minutes!

Blog Comments & Tips

A Bright and Delicate Pasta that is Unforgettable!

Our Lemon Pesto Pasta with Artichokes is bright and lemony, and has the perfect balance of acidity and texture from the artichoke hearts. It’s very easy to make, and has a unique flavor that is unforgettable.

Unlike the traditional garlicky, basil pesto I have always known, this lemon pesto brings a light and distinctive quality to this pasta dish. It’s delicate and bright, and so flavorful in its subtlety that it makes this pasta dish very memorable.

The pesto sauce we have come to know and love in the USA originated in the northern region of Italy in the city of Genoa. Pesto was originally developed by using fresh basil, pine nuts, and crushed garlic, then blending them with olive oil, and adding parmesan cheese. The results are a garlicky and herby paste-like sauce that perfectly coats pasta.

Lemon pesto has a completely different flavor and texture, but is equally delicious. It is a quick sauce that is popular in Amalfi, Italy. Amalfi is a spectacular town on the southwest coast of Italy, where they are known for seafood dishes and lemons, as well as their gorgeous coastline. The Amalfi lemon (flesh, peel, and leaves) is an essential part of their cuisine and used to flavor many of their regional dishes, as well as to make Limoncello (a popular lemon infused liqueur).

The Amalfi lemon is unique because of two specific qualities. 1) It’s massive, and at least double the size of our lemons, and 2) it is not as acidic as the lemons we have access to in the USA.

I’m a huge lemon fanatic, and any recipe that uses lemons will always draw my attention. We were inspired by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street recipe for lemon pesto, because it was a major twist from the traditional basil pesto. The story goes that they were given the recipe by Amalfi locals during one of their research trips to Italy. They returned to the States to replicate it by using produce locally available. They offset the acidic quality of our lemons by adding a touch of sugar (simple, but brilliant fix!). This recipe takes the principles of basil pesto and gives it a complete turn on its head by using lemon zest peel instead of basil, and slivered almonds in place of pine nuts. And, get this…there is no garlic in the Amalfi version of lemon pesto!

If you have been following us and reading our recipe blogs, you will know that the PMR Test Kitchens love nothing more than a unique recipe, and this lemon pesto definitely fits the bill! So we tested the original Milk Street recipe, and found it to be delicious but almost too subtle. So we pimped it up by adding a few extra ingredients like artichokes, crushed red pepper flakes, a little fresh lemon juice, and only one garlic clove (which is entirely optional). We also increased the quantities to allow it to more thoroughly coat the pasta with its lusciousness. We think we have succeeded in pimping up an already yummy recipe into complete deliciousness!

Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?

Our 5 tips to making a delightful Lemon Pesto Pasta with Artichokes:

Use, high quality and organic ingredients. There are very few ingredients in this recipe, so each one needs to be fresh and high quality (i.e., fresh Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, organic lemons, and good quality olive oil).
Regular lemons vs. Meyer Lemons: We tested both and found that in this recipe, the regular lemons yielded a brighter and more lemon forward flavor. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter and come a little closer to the Amalfi lemon flavors; however, Meyer lemons have a very thin peel which makes it challenging for this recipe. Plus, you would need twice as many Meyer lemons to yield the same amount of regular lemon peels.
Avoid the white pith when peeling the lemons. This will cause your pasta water and pesto to become bitter.
Cook your pasta to al dente according to package directions. It needs to be slightly undercooked to work with this recipe, as it gets reheated and tossed over and over again in the pesto.
Toss your pasta thoroughly in the sauce. It’s best to toss the pasta in the pesto before adding the artichokes and chives. Otherwise, the tender artichoke hearts will break down.

Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with our recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp Our Recipe.

Pimp Our Recipe:

Make it Spicy: Add more crushed red pepper flakes to the pesto. For a really spicy pesto, try adding ½ teaspoon (or more to taste).
Make it Milder: Omit the crushed red pepper flakes entirely, or reduce to ⅛ teaspoon to get the flavor but not the heat.
Make it Gluten Free: Replace the thin spaghetti with your favorite gluten-free spaghetti or thin spaghetti.
Want More Artichokes? Instead of 2 cups, use 3 ½ cups (the entire 33.5 ounce jar) of drained Whole Tender Artichokes Hearts (packed in water).
Don’t Like Artichokes? Just omit them! You will end up with a pure lemon pasta that stands well on its own.

Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.

Happy Cooking!

Mich

Footnote: Remember to avoid the white pith from the lemon peel, or it will make the pasta and pesto sauce bitter.

Adapted from the Spaghetti Lemon Pesto recipe by Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street, we’ve pimped it up to add more flavor, complexity, and acidity to the dish.

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Lemon Pesto Pasta with Artichokes

RECIPE