Basil Pesto Recipe

5 from 1 vote

July 21, 2024

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Try this Basil Pesto Recipe for a flavorful, fresh, and fast sauce for pasta or chicken! Made with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil…pesto never disappoints. It’s a fast, uncooked, garlicky, cheesy, herby sauce that is so, so versatile! Whether you’re grilling chicken or tossing it with your favorite pasta, this pesto is one you need in your life.

First of all, what is Pesto?

A traditional Pesto (also known as Basil Pesto or Pesto Sauce) is a raw sauce from Genoa, Italy consisting of a ton of fresh basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Pesto was traditionally made by crushing the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. Now it’s typically done with the convenience of electric tools like a food processor or blender.

Why You’ll Love This Basil Pesto Recipe

This basil pesto recipe is a game-changer. It’s incredibly easy to make, bursting with fresh flavor, and so versatile. Whether you’re dressing up a bowl of pasta, spreading it on a sandwich, or using it as a dip, this homemade pesto is a delicious addition to any dish. Plus, it stores well, so you can always have it on hand for a quick and flavorful meal.

Ingredients Needed For Basil Pesto

Just a short list of ingredients are needed to make this homemade pesto sauce!

Fresh basil: Loosely packed, providing the essential herbaceous flavor. Here’s a great way to use a lot of basil from your homegrown basil plants! You can also find whole basil leaves in a clamshell somewhere in the produce section of your local grocery stores.
Fresh garlic cloves: Smashed and peeled for a punch of flavor.
Pine nuts: Buttery pine nuts toasted until golden brown for a nutty taste.
Parmesan cheese: Cut into chunks for a rich, salty bite. Use the good stuff!
Salt & black pepper: To taste, for seasoning.
Olive oil: Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.

Variations

Nuts: If you can’t find pine nuts or they aren’t your thing, you can substitute using walnuts, pistachios, almonds or even sunflower seeds using a 1:1 substitute ratio.
Need a nut-free pesto: Omit the pine nuts completely! Try pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or cooked and cooled edamame.
Cheese: Use pecorino romano instead of parmesan for a sharper taste.
Herbs: Mix in fresh parsley or spinach for added greens.
Vegan: Replace cheese with nutritional yeast.

How to Make Basil Pesto

This is a great recipe, and so much more fresh and flavorful than store-bought pesto! There’s NO comparison. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below. Here are my step-by-step instructions for making this basil pesto recipe:

1. Toast Pine Nuts

Add pine nuts to a dry pan and toast on medium low heat occasionally “shaking” pan until nuts are toasty brown. Be careful not to burn as this can happen very quickly. Set aside to cool.

2. Blend Ingredients

Add the basil, cooled pine nuts, garlic, cheese, salt and black pepper to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Go easy on the salt at first because parmesan cheese can be quite salty. You can always adjust the seasoning at the end.

basil leaves, pine nuts and cheese in a blender

3. Add Olive Oil

With the blender on, slowly add a steady stream of olive oil to create a thick pesto sauce, about 1/2 cup. Add more if needed to create the consistency desired. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Pro Tip: Add a splash of lemon juice for a smoother pesto.

Ways to use this Basil Pesto Recipe

Regardless of how you use this fresh basil pesto recipe, you are sure to love it! Here are some ideas.

Marinate chicken or pork chops
Spread over thick slices of toasted french bread or ciabatta for garlic bread
Add to an antipasto or charcuterie platter
Drizzle over Burrata cheese and serve as an appetizer (my favorite!)
Spoon over sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella as a new take on Caprese Salad
Toss roasted veggies in this sauce
Use in salad dressings
Brush onto corn on the cob
Spread over homemade pizza crust instead of tomato sauce
Eat it with a SPOON (seriously, I’m not even ashamed)

Dinner Ideas using Basil Pesto:

Storage + Make Ahead Directions for Pesto

Some pesto recipes will tell you to add a thin layer of olive oil over the top to keep your pesto from browning. While that does work, I have found the best way to keep this pesto recipe fresh is by placing plastic wrap directly on the pesto sauce, followed up with the tight-fitting lid for an airtight container. This keeps your pesto a bright green color.

Freezing

Once you have your pesto recipe made, store it in airtight containers or ice cube trays (and then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag), it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months! However, don’t be surprised if you never have leftovers because it is so darn tasty on everything! 😉

Make Ahead

This homemade basil pesto can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Simple as that, folks! Now you have a delicious versatile sauce to use however your heart desires! Let me know your favorite dishes to add pesto to. I’ve included the printable recipe card below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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5 from 1 vote