Chances are, when cooking or baking, we squeeze all the juice out of fresh lemons and then simply discard or compost the peels. Instead of doing this, consider extracting all the fragrant lemon zest first, as one could say this ingredient is worth its weight in gold. Don’t waste the lemon zest as you can use it to revitalize your go-to pasta dishes.
Along with basil and parmesan cheese shavings, lemon zest is one of the 11 fresh garnishes you should be adding to your pasta. Lemon zest, unlike lemon juice, will not overpower dishes with sharp acidity. Instead, it adds a bright pop of yellow color and tang. Lemon zest’s zing will also help cut through rich creamy sauces and balance out the fishy flavors of seafood pasta dishes.
A good place to start when adding lemon zest for the first time is to incorporate it in lemon pasta dishes, such as our easy lemon spaghetti recipe. The star of this dish is lemon juice — about a half cup of it — and you can mix lemon zest directly into the pasta or use it as a garnish.
Adding lemon zest to any seafood or meaty pasta dish
After you’ve tried incorporating lemon zest into a lemony pasta dish, be sure to go beyond that to other pasta dishes, as they too would benefit from a bright, citrus addition. For example, try our quick and easy brown butter shrimp pasta recipe. You can incorporate about a tablespoon of fresh lemon zest directly into the pasta sauce, one made with browned butter, cheddar cheese, mustard, and milk. Then, as a garnish, top the dish with more fresh lemon zest.
But let’s say you’re not craving shrimp or seafood pasta and have plenty of lemon zest to use up. Another idea is to revitalize your go-to chicken pasta dishes, like our delicious chicken pot pie pasta recipe. Heavy cream, butter, and chicken broth make up the sauce of this pasta dish, all of which have richness and flavors that lemon zest can brighten and enhance. Additionally, lemon zest will add a bit of texture and even a little fiber. Along with a sprinkle of black pepper and grated parmesan, a dusting of lemon zest will tie the dish together, making it perfect for a comforting and flavorful weeknight meal.
