Courgetti with Finger Limes and Lemon Zest Pesto

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When life throws you organic lemons! A few days ago a box of freshly harvested organic, untreated lemons arrived at my door. Eight pounds of golden yellow treasures! I love lemons. There is so much I can do with them. I use them in juicing and detox recipes, preserve them in salt, make marmalade, freeze the entire lemons, and more.

I love to add grated frozen lemon to my smoothies and salads. I love the refreshing bitterness and acidity a whole frozen lemon provides.

Lemon peel has many health benefits but is tossed away by most people and that's truly regrettable. To change this, I created a very simple lemon peel pesto recipe that can be used with raw or cooked pasta, in dips, or to garnish raw soups.

 
Ingredients:
  • 2 medium large courgettes
  • 1 tsp freshly pressed lemon juice
  • pinch Celtic sea salt
for the pesto
  • peel of 3 organic, untreated lemons
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup raw pine nuts
  • pinch Celtic sea salt
  • pinch fresh or dried thyme, optional

for the garnish

  • freshly ground black pepper
  • pulp of 1-2 finger limes per person
 

Method:
  • Spiralize the courgettes. 
  • In a large bowl gently mix the spiralized courgettes with lemon juice and salt. Massage gently and set aside. 
  • In a food processor, using the S blade, pulse blend lemon peel until well chopped. Add garlic cloves, lemon juice and olive oil, and pulse blend for a few seconds. Add pine nuts and pulse blend again. Make sure that pesto has a slightly coarse consistency. Add salt and thyme, if using, and mix well. Allow to marinade for a few minutes. 
  • Cut finger limes in half and squeeze out the pulp into a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Add half of the pesto to a bowl with spiralized courgettes and mix well.
  • Arrange the courgetti on pasta plates and top up with a dollop of lemon zest pesto. Add generous amount of freshly ground black pepper and garnish with the pulp of finger limes. Serve right away and enjoy in good company!

Tip: For a truly sensational gustatory experience make the lemon zest pesto with a dash of limoncello liqueur or, if you do not want to use any alcohol, add a few drops of food grade essential lemon oil.


I hope you have no problem getting all the ingredients and are able to try this delicious recipe. Never throw the organic, untreated lemon peel away. It can be used in many ways to enrich your raw dishes. You can use it raw to make pesto, dehydrate it and use it as spice, freeze it, preserve it with Mediterranean herbs in vinegar and cold pressed olive oil, or make lemon peel scented bath salts. Possibilities are endless.

In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique

When life throws you lemons!

Dominique Allmon©2023