Light Lemon Pesto Pasta Recipes

LIGHT LEMON PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti at a boil until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
• Put cubed Romano cheese in the bowl of a food processor; process until coarsely grated, about 30 seconds. Put garlic into the food processor and process until the cheese and garlic are combined. Add spinach, basil, walnuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt; process until the mixture comes together into a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
• With food processor running, drizzle olive oil into the mixture. Continue processing until the oil is integrated smoothly.
• Pour sauce over spaghetti and toss to coat.

LIGHT SHRIMP AND PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Place garlic scapes, Romano cheese, parsley, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. Scrape down sides. Turn on food processor; pour in olive oil and lemon juice while processing pesto until smooth.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in pasta, bring back to a boil, and cook over medium heat until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir pesto and shrimp into the pasta. Season with salt and black pepper. Squeeze a lemon wedge over pasta and serve remaining wedges alongside.

LEMON PESTO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Roll lemons on cutting board to activate juices. Squeeze juice from two lemons, should be approximately 1/4 cup lemon juice.
• Whisk pesto, lemon juice and black pepper.
• Place chicken in marinade (be sure it is thoroughly coated), cover, and refrigerate for 2 -24 hours. Remove from refrigeration.
• To bake: Pour marinade and chicken into glass baking dish. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165.
• To slow cook: Pour marinade and chicken into slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
• To grill: Place chicken breast cutlets on grill over low heat. Grill 5-6 minutes on each side, brushing with marinade after turning.

LIGHT LEMON BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• First, finely chop about half a large onion and mince or press about four large cloves of garlic (organic, of course).
• Second, take about a handful of organic basil (I hate to admit I don't wash this because it is harder to mince) and then finely chop the basil.
• Third, shred about half to three-quarters cup of parmesan reggiano.
• Fourth, start a pot of boiling salted water.
• Open two cans of chicken broth (I like Ralphs because it is less sodium than Stater Bros.).
• Place about one large heaping tablespoon of cornstarch in a short water glass or coffee cup.
• Saute onion only over medium heat in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add about three or four shakes of ground white pepper (maybe a bit more if you like it spicy). After about two minutes of saute process, add garlic and continue to stir and heat for another one minute. This brings out flavor of garlic. Then add about 3/4 cup of white wine and raise heat to "high" to deglaze the pan. Boil to reduce the liquid until it is nearly gone.
• Add one can of chicken stock, keeping heat at high. Stir the pan to make sure that all accumulated flavor on side of pan is combined with liquid. Boil this down by about half. Then add most of the second can and boil down again by about 1/3.
• While the sauce is finishing, add pasta to boiling water.
• Using the balance of the unused can of chicken stock, slowly pour into the glass of cornstarch stirring to blend the powder into a paste and then add more stock to make it a thick cornstarch liquid. Add this liquid slowly to the sauce, stirring in to incorporate about 15 seconds after pouring. Continue to heat on medium heat until sauce has thickened slightly (won't be much thicker than a heavy liquid) - this won't take much more than 45 seconds. Turn off heat. Add juice from about 1 lemon, more or less if desired. Stir to blend lemon. Set aside.
• Drain pasta. Place in bowls. Add basil to each bowl of dry pasta. Mix. Add a bit of sauce. Mix. Then add a bit of cheese. Mix. Add more sauce and cheese and fresh ground black pepper on top.

LIGHT PESTO

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine Romano cheese and garlic; cover and process for 30 seconds. Add the basil, nuts, salt and pepper; cover and process until combined, about 15 seconds. While processing, add the lemon juice; process about 15 seconds longer or until combined. Toss the spaghetti.

LEMON PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Pan cook three chicken breasts. While doing that bring water to boil and cook pasta for 9-10 minutes. When pasta has about 3 minutes left, toss in broccoli.
• Drain off pasta and broccoli and place in bowl; cut chicken into bit size pieces and toss into bowl with pasta.
• Pour olive oil, basil pesto and juice of one lemon into bowl and stir until pasta is coated thoroughly. Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese over top and serve.

CHICKEN AND PASTA WITH LEMON PESTO

Steps:

• Enjoy.