A tangy and creamy lemon pesto made from boiled lemon rinds and parmesan. Lemon Pesto Spaghetti with Scallops is a quick pasta recipe highlighting fresh lemons and carefully seared scallops.
Looking for more pesto recipes? Try our Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta or Busiate with Pesto Trapanese.
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Lemon Over Basil in the Winter
I saw someone making lemon pesto and I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed—such an interesting flavor profile for a simple recipe. Lemon pesto spaghetti with scallops was the first thing I thought of. Scallops are one of my favorite seafood; I thought they would be the perfect addition to this dish.
The pesto is this bright and creamy flavor, with a nuttiness from the parmesan and toasted cashews. The lemon is the perfect replacement for basil in the winter when basil is more expensive here and harder to find. Normally, we keep a ton of basil out in the backyard and then freeze some for the winter, but we always end up running out.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Cashews. Cashews are kind of the perfect nut for this because of their color and their mild taste but you could go with a pistachio or pine nut here. The price of the dish will start creeping up with those nuts.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In a dish like this where a majority of the dish sauce is "uncooked", I suggest using a high quality olive oil because it is going to be a huge part of the flavor of the dish. I like to get a single olive made olive oil, meaning only 1 type of olive oil was harvested for the oil.
Parmigiana. Another point to make is with parmigiana or parmesan. Of course we'd prefer to use parmigiana, the real cheese so that the flavor is optimal, but certain american parmesans aren't bad. Always get a block of parmigiana or parmesan. If it's already shredded, it has a lot of preservatives in it to keep it from going bad which will cause reactions when cooking/melting it.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Add the cashews to a small pan on medium-high heat. Toss them for about 5 minutes until they start developing a slight browning.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 400. Place garlic still in husk on a pan and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Step 3: Zesting the lemon for anything usually means grating it. For lemon pesto spaghetti, we are going to zest it by peeling it carefully. Use a sharp knife and carefully peel the lemon by removing the yellow part of the skin, leaving as much of the pith behind as you can. The pith is the white part.
Step 4: Place the zested lemon peels in a pot with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Boiling the lemons will make them softer to process and less bitter for the lemon pesto spaghetti.
Remove the from the pot and strain. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Start by adding the toasted cashews, roasted garlic, and lemon peels to the food processor. Squeeze the garlic out of the husk. Process until they are completely ground.
Then add half of the olive oil and process again. Next, add the salt and the parmesan, and process. Slowly, pour in the rest of the olive oil until the pesto reaches a soft and creamy texture. It should look similar to basil pesto, but yellow instead.
Pro-Tips
- I listed a ½ cup of olive oil, but adjust as necessary when processing the pesto to arrive at a smooth and runny texture.
- I always suggest using a butter knife to flip scallops because most people don't have a small enough fish spatula to do this. The butter knife will delicately get under the scallop while you hold your finger on top. Flip the scallop over without ripping it off the pan.
Step 6: Finally, after boiling the spaghetti, save some pasta water, and let it cool slightly while the spaghetti finishes boiling. Add the pasta water to the pesto and process it one last time.
Step 7: Strain the spaghetti and stir the pesto into the pasta until the spaghetti is covered.
Searing the Scallops
The lemon pesto spaghetti is extremely flavorful, so the scallops we kept quite simple.
Step 1: Remove the muscle from the scallop. Pat them dry and salt and pepper both sides of them.
Step 2: Bring a heavy-bottomed pan to medium-high heat. Add avocado oil to the pan. When the avocado oil begins to shimmer, it is ready. Add the scallops one at a time, and carefully spread them apart. Sear for 90 seconds and then flip using a butter knife and holding the top of the scallop with your finger.
Step 3: Sear the other side for another minute. Then add in 2 tablespoon of butter and a clove of garlic. Baste the scallops for 1 minute and then remove them from the pan.
Searing the scallops may need to be done in batches depending on the size of the pan. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will result in the scallops not developing a golden brown edge.
Scallops are a lot easier to make than people think. Just follow the 90-60-baste rule and they'll come out perfect every time.
I think it's funny we always use the word "bright" with lemon flavors, but I love this recipe in the winter because it has such a summer flavor and reminds me of warmer days.
FAQs
Lemon pesto is made of Lemon Zest, parmigiana, olive oil, cashews or a nut, and salt.
You can reheat scallops by doing a quick saute in the pan with butter.
Store the scallops separately from the spaghetti. The spaghetti and scallops will have to be reheated separately anyway. Store them in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Don't be afraid to leave a review below! We'd love to hear your feedback and hear how you enjoyed the recipe! Follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
More Seafood Pasta
📖 Recipe
Lemon Pesto Spaghetti with Scallops
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 3 lemons, skinned
- 2 cloves garlic, roasted or grated
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb scallops
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Zest the lemon in peels, using a sharp knife. Try to get as little pith (the white part) as possible. In a small pot of water, add the lemon peels and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
- In a small pan, toast cashews on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. (optional, but recommended)
- In a large pot, boil water and cook spaghetti until al dente, saving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Once lemon peels have cooled, place them in a food processor along with cashews, parmesan, salt, and garlic and process until mixed well to make the pesto. Then slowly add olive oil until creamy. Adjust the amount of olive oil if necessary. Stir into the spaghetti while the spaghetti is still hot and add in the pasta water.
- Prepare your scallops by removing the muscle on the side. It's usually a little bit whiter than the rest of the scallop and should peel off easily. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place your scallops in the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan(this may require 2 batches). Sear scallops in the oil for about 90 seconds or until they become golden brown. Carefully flip the scallops using a butterknife or a very small spatula. Sear on the opposite side for 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoon of butter and garlic. Use a spoon to baste the scallops in the garlic and butter mix for 1 minute. Remove the scallops from the pan and serve over spaghetti.
Notes
- I always suggest using a butter knife to flip scallops because most people don't have a small enough fish spatula to do this. The butter knife will delicately get under the scallop while you hold your finger on top. Flip the scallop over without ripping it off the pan.
- I listed a ½ cup of olive oil, but adjust as necessary when processing the pesto to arrive at a smooth and runny texture.
Vinny
Such a delicious lemon pesto. Love these unique flavors. Hope you enjoy!