Basil Pesto Recipe (with tips & tricks!)

A classic and flavorful basil pesto recipe – it’s easy to make and adds so much deliciousness to pasta, pizza, eggs, sandwiches and more.

Vibrant green basil pesto, rich and delicious, is surprisingly easy to make. Do you have an abundance of basil in your garden? This is the recipe for you!

Why buy pricey little jars of gourmet pesto? I guarantee that once you make your own authentic Italian pesto, you’ll never go back. This leprechaun green sauce adds treasure to everything you combine it with.

Pesto is really very simple. It sounds a little fancy but there are only five ingredients in it, not counting salt and pepper. You’ll love making your own pesto, it just feels so good.

Herby green sauces are super popular and with good reason. Along with pesto, I’m thinking of salsa verde or chimichurri. They can take a dish from okay to WOW!

Try putting a swirl of pesto on grilled chicken or fish and see what happens to your taste buds. Mix a little pesto and mayo for a happening sandwich. Add pesto to a simple vinaigrette and your greens won’t know what hit them.

You’re probably already convinced that you need pesto. Let’s get going on making our own!

About This Recipe

Like I mentioned, pesto is super simple. I’ll give you a few tips and some ways to make it your own. It’s your pesto so make it how you like it. Go for it!

The word “pesto” literally means to pound or crush. You’ll need a food processor to do the pounding and crushing. You really do, there’s no other good way to do it. Beg, borrow, or steal (no, don’t do that!) a food processor from a friend if you don’t have one. Promise you’ll return it with a jar of homemade pesto!

Look for the printable recipe card for pesto at the end of this post.

What You’ll Need

• Basil: Lots of fresh basil, four cups of it, loosely packed. If you have a good harvest of basil that you need to use up before the cold comes, this is your recipe. Keep reading if you don’t have quite enough basil. I have some great ideas for you.
• Garlic: This recipe calls for eight cloves of garlic which makes a pretty garlicky pesto, but good news! You can easily adjust it to your taste. Peel the garlic but don’t bother chopping or mincing it. It’s all going in the food processor.
• Parmesan Cheese: Finely shredded Parmesan cheese adds body, texture, and of course, taste to the pesto, along with a bit of protein, too.
• Pine Nuts: These little gems give the pesto substance. Don’t you just love pine nuts? Did you know they really are nuts from pine trees, hidden in the pinecones? Cool, huh? For added flavor, toast the pine nuts first.
• Olive Oil: Good quality extra virgin olive oil really shines here. Don’t skimp with cheap flavorless olive oil.
• Salt and Pepper, for seasoning your pesto. Keep in mind that the Parmesan cheese adds some salt, so start with less and add more after you taste it.

How To Make Pesto

Begin by prepping the basil. Remove the leaves from the large stems. Don’t worry about the small stems, they are fine. Wash thoroughly in cold water and spin dry with a salad spinner. Remove as much water as you can. You don’t want to water down the pesto.

Add the basil to the bowl of the food processor (it’s okay if you kinda pack it in there), along with the garlic cloves, cheese, and pine nuts. Add salt and pepper and process until the mixture is mostly smooth.

Next, slowly add the olive oil through the chute while the food processor is running. When the mixture looks fairly smooth and creamy, it’s ready. You may not need all of the oil or you may need to add more. It’s really a matter of personal preference.

Uncover the food processor and remove the blade. Use a rubber scraper to get every bit of that green treasure into a bowl or jar.

How to serve pesto with pasta

Simply cook as much pasta as you need, drain, toss it with the pesto, and serve. Generally, you’ll need about 1/2 cup of pesto per pound of pasta.

FAQs

Make It Your Own

There are lots of ways to customize your pesto depending on your dietary needs or taste preferences. Below are some common adaptations and tips.

Pesto without Garlic

You can easily use less garlic or omit it from this recipe. Let’s be honest, pesto can be very garlicky! If you don’t want to breathe hot-garlicky-fire the rest of the day, mild pesto made with less garlic lets you taste the gloriously toasted pine nuts, the Parmesan cheese, your good extra virgin olive oil, and….of course, basil. Don’t send me hate mail telling me that it isn’t pesto without the garlic. I’ll email you back! Just warning you!

What To do if you don’t have enough basil

This is one of our favorite tips! You can substitute spinach (or another tender leafy green) for some of the basil.

There are two reasons for doing this. One is obvious: You don’t have quite enough basil in your garden to make this pesto recipe, or it’s too expensive to buy. Add spinach to make up the difference. The other reason? Spinach can tame the flavor a bit so your pesto is just a bit milder. Just as nutritious, just as delicious, just as beautiful!

Love this idea? Try arugula pesto, too!

Pesto with herbs other than basil

Parsley or cilantro can be added to your pesto in place of some of the basil. If you like dill, try adding a bit of that. Experiment with different herbs and see what you like.

Pesto without pine nuts

If you don’t want to spend the money or can’t find pine nuts, make your pesto with walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios. The flavor and texture of your pesto will differ slightly. Or, don’t add any nuts. I usually make nut-free pesto since my family has nut allergies, and it’s really delicious.

Dairy-free pesto

To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese. If you like, add 3-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a more buttery flavor. By making it without cheese, your pesto will also be vegan, Whole30, and keto-friendly and still be super flavorful.

Large or Small Batch Pesto

You can easily make a half batch, a quarter batch, or a double batch. The recipe is very easy to adjust.

Storage and Freezing Tips

Homemade pesto can be stored in the fridge in a tightly covered container for up to five days.

Frozen pesto will keep for up to a year. Make a bunch, use up that basil, and freeze it for later. You’ll be so glad you did when it’s the middle of winter and you’re just dying for a fresh taste of summer. 

How To Freeze Pesto

Freeze in snack-size zip-top bags (2 tablespoons in each), flatten, removing any excess air, seal, and then place all the little bags in a gallon-sized freezer bag or freezer container. 

Alternate way to freeze pesto: Use ice cube trays! Once the pesto has frozen, pop it out into a large freezer bag. Silicone ice cube trays make it super easy to pop out the frozen cubes of pesto.

Using Frozen Pesto

To use, thaw in fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. If you’re using it in soup or spaghetti sauce, just drop the frozen pesto in. It will thaw out quickly.

Don’t need 2 tablespoons? Crack off the amount you need, reseal the bag, and return it to the freezer.

More ways to use pesto

Pesto adds so much flavor to many dishes. Stir it into soups or sauces, substitute it for mayo or other spreads, or use it all by itself as a sauce. Here’s some ideas:

• Grilled pizza with pesto and tomatoes
• Pesto and cheese stuffed zucchini
• Roasted vegetable wrap with feta and pesto
• Baked chimichanga with pesto, Harvarti, chicken, and caramelized onion
• Chicken tortellini soup with kale and pesto
• Lemon basil vinaigrette (make this easy recipe even easier by substituting the pesto for fresh basil)
• Avocado toast: spread pesto on toast, top with mashed avocado.
• Pesto fried eggs: so popular right now!