Classic basil pesto is the epitome of summer and surprisingly easy to make. I've been mixing up bowl after bowl lately and it's so tasty, I simply can't stop! If you want to join in on the homemade pesto craze, I can teach you how in no time.
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I love using pesto as a pasta sauce, just mix a big spoonful into your al-dente noodles and add a little protein if you want for chicken pesto pasta!
Pesto salmon is also amazing. Simply brush your fillets before baking and serve with roasted veggies for an easy weeknight dinner.
Dollop your pesto on grilled veggies or burrata caprese salad. Use it as a pizza sauce. Spread over crostini and top with cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. The options are endless and delicious.
Jump to:
What Is Pesto?
Pesto is a bright green, flavor-packed sauce with Italian roots. It's made with nuts, fresh herbs, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and parmesan cheese. Make it dairy free simply by leaving the cheese out or substituting nutritional yeast.
Your Grocery List
- Pine nuts: Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts! They're pretty pricey, and if you want a more budget friendly option you can substitute walnuts.
- Garlic cloves: One large or 2-3 small.
- Olive oil: High-quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for homemade pesto.
- Salt: Just a touch to balance flavors.
- Fresh basil: Located in the produce section and often packaged in small clamshells to protect delicate leaves.
- Lemon: Lemon juice isn't 100% required for pesto, but it does add really nice bright flavor.
- Grated parmesan: Parm is really yummy in pesto, but you can leave it out for dairy free (or sub nutritional yeast)!
How To Make Basil Pesto
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Toast nuts *optional:
- Lightly toast pine nuts for rich, nutty flavor or leave them raw for a light and fresh pesto.
- If you choose to toast nuts, place them in a skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until golden. They burn easily so be careful!
Grind:
- Add pine nuts, garlic cloves and half of your olive oil to a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds, until coarse.
Add basil:
- Add salt, remaining olive oil, lemon juice and fresh basil.
Puree & add cheese:
- Purée until smooth (30-60 seconds). Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula as needed.
- Last, add parmesan cheese and pulse briefly to combine!
Stacey's Top Tips 🌱
- Puree in layers: Avoid throwing all ingredients into the food processor at once. Puréeing in "layers" makes a difference and results in better texture.
- Don't over-blend: Over blending can result in a gummy texture. Stop once everything is combined, it doesn't have to be perfectly smooth!
- Bulk it up: If you're a little short on basil, bulk greens with some spinach or arugula. This can also be a great budget-friendly option.
Pesto Variations
Vegan: Making vegan and dairy free pesto is easy! Simply omit the cheese or substitute nutritional yeast.
Walnuts: Skip the pine nuts and use walnuts in your pesto. They're much more affordable and just as delicious. You can also use almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans or even hazelnuts!
Nut free: To make pesto without nuts, use either hulled pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
Greens: Short on basil? Bulk it with leafy greens like spinach or arugula! You can also make pesto with other fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley or even mint.
Other flavors: Sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to give your pesto a kick! Add some sun-dried tomatoes or substitute an infused olive oil. There are lots of fun ways to add flavor to pesto.
Creamy pesto: Blend a splash of heavy cream into your pesto to make a creamy rendition. I feel like this would be extra delicious on pasta. 😋
Storing Pesto
When stored in an airtight container, pesto will last 3-5 days in the fridge. Extend its life by smoothing it out flat with a spoon and drizzling a thin layer of olive oil on top. This creates a seal that can help prevent browning and oxidation.
Freeze: Pesto is super freezer friendly! I like to spoon mine into an ice cube tray and freeze portions for easy weeknight cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Young, tender stems will blend seamlessly into pesto but don't add the large, tough stems.
It is not necessary to blanch basil for pesto.
Absolutely! Freezer pesto lasts up to 6 whole months and makes weeknight cooking easy. I like portioning mine into ice cube trays.
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Basil Pesto Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup pine nuts *toast if desired *see note below
- 1 large (or 2-3 small) whole garlic cloves *peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil *divided *see note below
- 2 cups basil leaves *loosely packed *2-3 ounces
- ½ teaspoon salt *plus more to taste
- Juice from ½ small lemon *can omit if desired
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese *can omit for vegan (or sub nutritional yeast)
Recipe notes:
Pine nuts: Lightly toast pine nuts for rich, nutty flavor or leave them raw for a light and fresh pesto. Olive oil: For a smoother pesto, you can add extra olive oil!Instructions
- If you choose to toast nuts, place them in a skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until golden. They burn easily so be careful!
- Add pine nuts, whole peeled garlic cloves and half of your olive oil to a food processor. Puree 20-30 seconds.
- Next add lemon juice, salt, remaining oil and basil leaves along with any young, tender stems. Don't include stems that are large and tough.
- Puree until everything is well incorporated. The mixture doesn't have to be completely smooth. Don't over-blend or it can become gummy.
- Add grated parmesan cheese and pulse the food processor a couple more times to mix. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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