This easy Basil Pesto Recipe is ready in just 5 minutes using a handful of fresh ingredients. It adds a burst of herby flavor to your pastas, meats, and more!
Every summer I buy a pot of deck basil and make fresh pesto all summer long. Then use it on pasta, chicken, sandwiches, grilled vegetables, spaghetti squash and quick skillets.
The taste difference between homemade basil pesto and store-bought pesto is unbelievable! Even when you compare it to the best commercially produced one, in my opinion, Kirkland brand.
Not to mention it is much lower in sodium. Once you make it, you won’t be able to stop!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Combine 7 simple ingredients in a food processor and it’s ready in minutes.
- Fresh flavor: This homemade sauce delivers vibrant flavors that store-bought just can’t match. Plus, it’s a delicious, preservative-free upgrade!
- Customizable: Swap pine nuts for walnuts or adjust the garlic for a milder or stronger kick.
- Endless possibilities: Toss with pasta, drizzle it over meats, salads, vegetables or eggs, use as a dip, spread on sandwiches, or stir into hummus, mashed potatoes, or soup.
Ingredients for Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe
You likely have most ingredients on hand, and it’s a perfect way to use your homegrown basil!
- Fresh basil: From your garden or buy it fresh at the store same day. You’ll need leaves only, no stems.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic is key for the best flavor, and the great part is you don’t even need to grate or mince it. For a sweeter, deeper taste, you can also use roasted garlic.
- Pine nuts: These are the most common nuts used in pesto. They add a subtle, nutty flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: I used Parmiggiano Reggiano and recommend buying a hunk and grating it yourself. From a shaker or pre-shredded is not the same taste for pesto.
- Oil: Only extra virgin olive oil since you will be eating it raw and it will really make a difference.
- Spices: Salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Fresh Basil Pesto
Here’s how to quickly blend up this fresh basil pesto sauce using your food processor or blender.
- Chop ingredients: Blend basil, garlic, and pine nuts until finely chopped, pausing to scrape the sides once.
- Add oil: Toss in some salt and pepper, then with the food processor running on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil.
- Finish it off: Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse a few more times until you reach your desired consistency.
Tips for Best Results
Follow these easy tips for the best basil pesto, and say goodbye to store-bought for good!
- Use fresh quality ingredients: Stick with fresh garlic, cheese, and basil. Don’t use dried basil or pre-shredded Parmesan. And be sure to use the best olive oil you can find!
- Adjust to taste: Don’t hesitate to adjust everything from the garlic and cheese to the salt and pepper to fit your taste buds.
- Adjust consistency: Start with 1/2 cup olive oil if you like thicker pesto and go from there.
- Grind Parmesan in a food processor: To save washing a box grater, add small pieces of Parmesan to a food processor and process first to grind. Then proceed with recipe.
Variations
- Toast the pine nuts: Add pine nuts to a hot, dry skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. They’ll give your pesto a richer, deeper flavor with a hint of smokiness.
- Use other nuts: If you can’t find pine nuts or want a more budget-friendly option, try walnuts, blanched almonds, or pistachios instead.
- Make it nut-free: You can substitute nuts with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or hemp seeds. Cooled edamame also works if you’re looking for something different.
- Add lemon juice: Up to 1/4 cup. Adding lemon juice helps with discoloration too.
- Other cheese: Try Pecorino Romano, but keep in mind it has a slightly saltier and more intense flavor.
- Make it vegan or vegetarian: You can easily find vegetarian or vegan Parmesan cheese these days.
What to Serve Pesto with?
The real question is what not to serve pesto with! It’s so versatile and delicious, I just can’t get enough of it!
- Tossed with pasta: Mix it with your favorite pasta, tortellini, gnocchi, zucchini or spaghetti squash noodles garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs. You can also drizzle some over Caprese pasta.
- Drizzled over meats: Add a burst of flavor to baked chicken, steak, grilled salmon, pork tenderloin, or lamb chops.
- Spread on sandwiches: Layer with your favorite cheese and meat, make a pesto grilled cheese, or add it to a healthy breakfast sandwich.
- Stirred into soups: Add up to 4 tablespoons into tomato soup, vegetable soup, minestrone soup, butternut squash soup or pumpkin soup.
- Mixed into mashed potatoes: Add a spoonful to mashed potatoes for a unique twist.
- Pizza: Drizzle it over your pizza before serving, or make a larger batch to use as a base sauce instead of traditional tomato sauce.
- Salad dressing: Thin it out with oil or vinegar to turn it into a basil pesto salad dressing.
- Dip: Enjoy it on its own or mix it into hummus and serve with fresh veggies or pita chips.
How to Store
Store: Store it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. Just add a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep it fresh and prevent discoloration.
Freeze: To store in small amounts, pour it into an ice cube tray and then transfer the cubes to a Ziploc bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Or if you plan to use a lot of it, store it in a freezer-safe jar. If you’re going to use it more frequently, I would keep it on hand in the fridge.
Thaw: Let it thaw on the counter for a few hours or in the fridge overnight.
FAQs
Pesto originates from Genoa, Italy, and its name comes from the Italian word “pestare,” which means to crush or pound. It’s a vibrant, flavorful sauce made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
For a traditional pesto flavor, use Italian large leaf basil, also known as sweet basil. It’s the kind you’ll find most often in grocery stores. Thai and lemon basil can be used too, but they’ll give your pesto a slightly different taste.
You can swap in herbs like parsley, cilantro, or mint. Or use an equal amount of kale, spinach, or arugula for a different twist.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes to Try
- Chimichurri recipe
- Marinara sauce
- Greek yogurt tartar sauce
- Healthy alfredo sauce
- Healthy BBQ sauce
- Peanut sauce
Basil Pesto Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- In a food processor, basil, garlic and pine nuts. Process until finely chopped, pausing and scraping the walls once.
- Add salt and pepper. With food processor running on low speed slowly pour olive oil.
- Add Parmesan cheese and give a few more pulses until desired consistency.
