Anything this vibrant Basil Pesto touches becomes brighter, fresher, and all the more delicious. Use this easy, quick recipe for pasta and sandwiches, drizzle it over tomatoes, spread it on pizza, and so much more!
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Why You’ll Love This Homemade Pesto Recipe
- Easy and Worth It. While you can find some decent store-bought pestos, nothing compares to the fresh, pure taste of homemade pesto from your own kitchen. Lucky for you, it’s simple to make!
- Good on Everything. You can add pesto to a lot. From Pesto Chicken, Pesto Pasta, to Pesto Chicken Skewers, to spreading it sandwiches like a BLT, pesto is a magic sauce.
- Less Oil. My main gripe about most basil pesto recipes is that they are too oily. I want my pesto to cling to noodles, stand up as a spread on sandwiches, and be more about the herbs than the oil. I make my pesto on the thicker side, with a higher ratio of basil and nuts to oil.
- Flexible. Classic basil pesto is made of basil leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, and good-quality olive oil. This pesto, however, can go with the flow. You can switch up the nuts (I often use walnuts or almonds), change out the basil (try cilantro and arugula like in this Avocado Pesto), and even omit the cheese.
How to Make Basil Pesto
The Ingredients
- Pine Nuts. Nuts give the pesto structure and delicious nutty flavor. While pine nuts are the most commonly used nut in an authentic pesto recipe, you can swap them for walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
- Garlic. For that scrumptious garlicky goodness.
- Basil. Fresh basil is critical for great-tasting pesto—you can’t use dried!
- Spinach. Adds an extra touch of freshness, boosts the green color, and packs in nutrition.
- Olive Oil. The oil helps give the pesto the perfect consistency and adds richness.
- Parmesan. The addictive cheesy, salty addition that completes this pesto.
The Directions
- Toast the Nuts. Don’t let them burn!
- Pulse. Blend the nuts and garlic.
- Add the Remaining Ingredients. Almost there!
- Puree. Pouring in oil while the processor runs.
- Add the Parmesan. Process a little longer until smooth. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
Use the ratios in this basil pesto sauce to create a tasty mix of different pestos. Here are a few ways to change it up.
- Greens. Add a few handfuls of other greens, such as arugula, kale, chard, or beet greens.
- Herbs. Substitute all or part of the basil for mint, parsley, or cilantro.
- Nuts. You can make great basil pesto with walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or a mix.
- Parmesan. For a vegan pesto, swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast or a dairy-free Parmesan cheese. Or use a different Italian hard cheese, such as pecorino romano.
- Creamy. Try the Creamy Basil Pesto with Greek Yogurt from The Well Plated Cookbook.
- Fun Additions. Try tossing in sun-dried tomatoes (tomato basil pesto would be delish) or roasted red peppers.
Meal Prep Tips
- You can make pesto ahead of time. Prepare the pesto as directed, then transfer it to an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- This is a small batch basil pesto recipe (it makes 4 servings), but you can also make a big batch, freeze the leftovers, and thaw them as needed.
How to Use Basil Pesto
- Pasta. As Chicken Pesto Pasta proves, pasta and pesto were meant to be! Basil pesto goes with zucchini noodles too (like Zucchini Pasta).
- Pizza. Swap the tomato sauce for pesto in any pizza or Flatbread Pizza.
- Sandwiches. Take your favorite sandwiches to the next level with pesto. Try it on a Portobello Mushroom Burger or Grilled Chicken Sandwich.
- Eggs. Try this Pesto Quiche.
- Meat. Pesto is delicious on everything from Grilled Pesto Chicken Skewers to Stuffed Pork Chops.
- Seafood. Pesto tastes excellent on seafood. We love it on Pesto Salmon.
- Vegetables. Use it for Pesto Potato Salad or simply add it to any of your favorite Oven Roasted Vegetables.
- Appetizers. Pesto is good for appetizers too! For the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer, try my Pesto Pinwheels.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Good Quality Olive Oil. Since the oil isn’t heated and pesto is so few ingredients, the quality of the oil is critical. Keep a bottle of nice olive oil on hand for recipes like pesto and salad dressings, then use a less-expensive oil for high-temperature roasting and sautéing.
- Avoid the Green Can of Parmesan. As with the oil, the quality of the cheese is vital. Do not use the green can. Either grate your own Parm from a block (this is especially easy in the food processor) or purchase freshly grated cheese from your grocery store refrigerator case.
- Keep It Airtight. Air steals the freshness of pesto as soon as you make it. Whatever pesto you do not use right away, transfer it to an airtight jar and cover it with plastic wrap so no air touches the surface.
Basil Pesto
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 (about 3/4 cup)
This homemade basil pesto recipe is made with pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan, and olive oil. Freezer-friendly and perfect for pasta!
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts or ¼ cup walnuts
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves no stems
- 2 cups spinach chopped kale, or arugula,
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil use more for a smoother, looser pesto
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Toast the nuts: place the nuts in a small, dry skillet. Toast over low heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant and toasted, about 4 minutes for pine nuts and 6 to 8 minutes for walnuts. BE PATIENT. As soon as you crank up the heat, nuts love to burn.
- Place the pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend for 10 long pulses.
- Add the basil, spinach, salt, and pepper.
- With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil through the feed tube. Puree until smooth, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape down the side of the food processor bowl as needed.
- Add the Parmesan and puree until blended, about 30 seconds more, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add additional oil if you'd like the pesto thinner. Use right away or store for later use (see tip below).
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Air is the enemy of pesto! To store, place pesto in the refrigerator in as small a container as possible, and press a piece of plastic over the top so air doesn’t touch the pesto. Instead of plastic, you can also drizzle a thin layer of olive oil on top. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze pesto in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 4gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 5mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2096IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 1mg
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Delicious, easy, and perfect for pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, or licking right off the spoon!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Taylor! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I made this in my Vitamix because I don’t have a food processor. Had to stop after every pulse to get the pine nuts and garlic back in place (ultimately got lazy and just put them in place for the long blend). It turned out perfectly and so yummy! I upped the garlic a bit, so it has a little kick. It is the perfect consistency (which is something I’ve had issues with in other recipes). Have some in my fridge and will likely freeze some, too!
Hi Liz! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
I tried this recipe with my very large basil crop this summer. I found myself using this pesto on, and with, so many dishes! Thank you!
Hi Danielle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I tried this recipe with my very large basil crop this summer. I love that it includes spinach. Think the garlic was just the right amount. I found myself using this pesto on, and with, so many dishes! Thank you!
Hi Danielle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!