Lemon Caper Pesto Recipe

Lemon Caper Pesto is a very unique twist on classic pesto. It’s delicious on pasta, with fish and poultry, and served as a dip for an appetizer. It’s fun to turn classic recipes into something new and different. “Make them my own,” if you will. 

A classic pesto is made with basil, garlic, Parmesan, pine nuts and olive oil.

What’s in Lemon Caper Pesto?

• lemons
• capers
• pine nuts
• garlic
• Parmesan
• fresh dill
• Olive oil
• salt, pepper

So while a handful of the ingredients are the same as they would be in a classic pesto (garlic, Parmesan, olive oil), Lemon Caper Pesto is made mostly with other flavors.

Uses for Lemon Caper Pesto

• My favorite use for this pesto is to serve it with fish — especially salmon. The flavors are spectacular together!
• Mix it with a little extra olive oil and it’ll become an amazing pasta sauce.
• Add extra olive oil and a touch of cider vinegar and use it as a salad dressing.
• Bake fish with it.
• Spread it on toast!
• Serve it with veggies and crackers as an appetizer.

Check it out on this amazing California King Salmon reicpe beneath a thin layer of zucchini. Lovely!

Recipe Tips

• Meyer lemons are my favorite because they’re slightly sweet and the skin is very thin — but you can use any lemons you have.
• Do not skip the step of blanching the lemon peels. This is important because it helps to remove the bitter taste.

I hope you think this Lemon Caper Pesto is as unique and delicious as I do.

More unique pesto recipes:

• Fresno Pepper Pesto Recipe
• Lemon Verbena Pesto Recipe
• Rocket (Arugula) Pesto

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Lemon Caper Pesto

Prep Time

30 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Lemon Caper Pesto is a very unique twist on classic pesto. It's delicious on pasta, with fish and poultry, and served as a dip for an appetizer.

*Makes about 1½ cups

Course: Condiments, Sauces, Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Cuisine: Italian, American

Keyword: pesto without basil, unique pesto recipes

Servings: 12

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

• 1 cup lemon rind (from about 1¼ pounds lemons)
• ½ cup capers, drained
• ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1½ tablespoons garlic, peeled, roots removed, roughly chopped
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• ¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Remove the rind from approximately 1¼ pounds of lemons using a vegetable peeler. Try not to go too deep — you don’t want too much of the white pith, as it's quite bitter.

2. Place the peels in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover the peels by about an inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.  Immediately drain the peels and repeat this process one more time. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, blend the lemon peels with the capers, toasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, dill, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Once the mixture is as smooth as you can get it, add oil slowly and blend until it's fully incorporated.

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