Lemon Pesto with Almonds: The Garden Win I Didn’t See Coming

So I'm over the moon with how well my basil is growing in the garden. I mean, I can grow something that isn’t a weed! Yay me!!! Do you know how rare that is? I’ve killed succulents. Succulents. The plants that are basically nature’s version of a tamagotchi set to “easy mode.” But this basil? It is thriving. Like, peak influencer energy. Like, if it had a TikTok account, it’d be going viral for skincare routines and chill aesthetic vibes.

Of course, now that my basil is basically a lush little forest, I’m on the hunt for every possible basil recipe known to humankind. I’ve been putting it on everything. I’ve made a lot of pizza.  I briefly considered using it as a garnish on my cereal just because it was there and I could. Desperate times.

But here’s the thing—I’ve always had this thing about pesto. You know pesto. It’s that bright green, garlicky sauce that makes people say things like “Mmmm” and “Did you toast the pine nuts?” And I, well...I just never really did pesto. It felt fussy. It felt like the kind of thing you need a tiny food processor and a farmer’s market subscription to enjoy properly. Also: pine nuts are freaking expensive. Like, are they made of unicorn tears and trust funds? Because that price tag is no joke.

Also, the garlic. Don’t get me wrong—I love garlic. But I like it in quantities that suggest flavor, not in vampire-repellent doses. I don’t want to sweat out garlic because I still love my husband even after 30 years, you know?

Then I found her. Half Baked Harvest’s lemon pesto recipe. I love Tiegan's stuff and I read her cookbooks like real books. Seriously, the recipes and pictures are my bedtime stories. And right away I noticed:  pine nuts - optional. I could use good ol’ almonds, which I already had hanging out in my pantry, probably trying to figure out if they were ever going to fulfill their smoothie destiny. And LEMON! Bright, citrusy, sunshine-in-a-sauce lemon! I was in.

So let me just say: if you’ve never been into pesto, you need to try this pesto. It’s like the pesto for pesto skeptics. The gateway pesto. It’s fresh, zingy, garlicky-but-not-aggressive, and shockingly easy. I made it once, and now I make it every other day like I’m running a side hustle out of my kitchen. I’m about three batches away from selling jars of it at the farmer’s market with a handwritten chalkboard sign that says “Made With Love (and Panic Gardening).”

And don’t worry, I’ve got a killer summer pizza recipe coming soon using this very pesto. So go ahead and make it now—you’re gonna want it in the fridge, trust me.

🍋 Lemon Pesto with Almonds (aka “I Can’t Believe I Made This and It’s Amazing” Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed (from your flourishing garden or a store, no shame)

• 1/2 cup roasted almonds (unsalted is best, but hey, live your life)

• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 large clove garlic (or half if you're garlic shy like me)

• 1/2 cup olive oil (plus a little more if you want a looser consistency)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional but delightful:

• A little pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick

• A teaspoon of honey if you like a slightly sweeter vibe

🛠️ Instructions:

1. Toast those almonds! (Optional but worth it.) If your almonds aren’t already roasted, toss them in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until they smell nutty and fabulous. Don’t walk away. They will burn. They’re sneaky like that.

2. Food processor time. In a food processor (or a high-powered blender if you like living on the edge), combine the basil, almonds, parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and garlic. Blitz until it looks like a coarse green mulch. The good kind.

3. Drizzle, baby. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. If it’s looking too thick, add more oil. If it’s too thin, you probably got excited. Happens to the best of us.

4. Season like a boss. Add salt and pepper to taste, and if you’re using red pepper flakes or honey, now’s the time to throw them in and give it one last whirl.

5. Taste and swoon. You just made pesto. LEMON pesto. It’s fresh. It’s punchy. It tastes like summer vacation in Italy, even if you’re still wearing pajama pants at 3 p.m.

🧊 Storage Tips:

• Store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to a week.

• You can also freeze it in ice cube trays for little flavor bombs anytime you need a boost.

• It also makes a great gift for friends who will pretend they’re not jealous of your garden but definitely are.

🍕 Coming Soon: The Pizza to End All Pizzas

I’ve got a summer pizza recipe on deck that will blow your flip-flops off. (Spoiler: there’s fruit involved. I KNOW.) But before we go there, make this lemon almond pesto and get familiar. Slather it on toast, stir it into pasta, dip veggies in it, eat it by the spoonful standing at the fridge like a confused raccoon—I don’t judge.

Honestly, this pesto might be the best thing to come out of my garden since that one time I accidentally grew a tomato. My basil is still going gangbusters, so expect more green recipes soon. Until then, go forth and pesto! You can make something that isn’t a weed! 🎉🌿