Basil Pesto Recipe (with tips & tricks!)

Homemade Pesto

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.

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

More About This Pesto Recipe

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. 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.

A food processor is essential. 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!

There are so many ways to use pesto! Herby green sauces are super popular and with good reason. 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 or wrap. Add pesto to a simple vinaigrette and your greens won’t know what hit them. A spoonful of pesto takes soup to the next level.

Ingredient Notes

• Basil: You’ll need 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

Prep 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.

Process the pesto ingredients. 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.

Add olive oil to the mixture. 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.

Serve or store for later. 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 half cup of pesto per pound of pasta. Keep reading for more ways to use pesto.

Recipe Variations

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

Garlic (more or less)

Adjust the amount of garlic to your preference. Feel free to use less garlic or even omit it entirely. 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 (or no) garlic lets you taste the gloriously toasted pine nuts, the Parmesan cheese, your good extra virgin olive oil, and, of course, basil. Of course, you can go the opposite direction and add extra garlic to your pesto, too.

If you don’t have enough basil

Substitute spinach (or another tender leafy green) for some of the basil. This is one of our favorite tips. You don’t have to use 100% 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. We love the the flavor of this cilantro pesto, which is made with cilantro and parsley. Salsa verde or chimichurri are two more examples of green sauces made without basil.

Pesto without pine nuts

Use another type of nut. 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.

Make it nut-free. Another option is to leave out the nuts. Since my family has nut allergies, I usually skip the nuts and the pesto is still really delicious.

Dairy-free pesto

To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese. If you like, add 3 to 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. My cilantro pesto is made raw cashews instead of Parmesan.

Large or Small Batch Pesto

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

Storage & Freezing Tips

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

Freeze: 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. 

Freeze in 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.

Freeze in a jar. Make sure you leave a little head room in the jar (fill it to a half inch or so from the top) so there’s room for expansion. Put the jar in a secure place in your freezer so it doesn’t break.

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. Pesto is wonderful on pasta, sandwiches, eggs, wraps, salads, pizzas, soups, and pretty much whatever you like. Try it on grilled chicken, fish, or steak. It adds so much flavor to grilled or roasted vegetables. Here are a few recipe ideas:

• Grilled pizza with pesto and tomatoes
• Cheese and pesto stuffed zucchini
• Roasted vegetable wrap
• Chicken tortellini soup with kale and pesto
• Lemon basil vinaigrette (make this easy recipe even easier by substituting the pesto for fresh basil)
• Pesto fried eggs: so popular right now! Another excellent idea is avocado toast. Simply spread pesto on a slice of whole grain toast and top with mashed avocado.