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Straight on view of pesto in a glass jar.
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4.67 from 6 votes

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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dips & Spreads
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 32
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh basil, loosely packed, washed and dried
  • 8 cloves garlic, or to taste
  • ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • pasta, for serving, optional

Instructions

  • Add basil, garlic, cheese, nuts, salt, and pepper to a food processor and process until mostly smooth.
    4 cups fresh basil, loosely packed, washed and dried, 8 cloves garlic, or to taste, ½ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, ½ cup pine nuts, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, or to taste
  • With the processor running, slowly add the oil through the chute until desired consistency is reached. More or less oil may be needed.
    ¾ cup olive oil
  • To serve with pasta: Cook 16 ounces of pasta (any kind) to al dente, drain, reserving ½ cup of cooking water. Toss pasta with ½ cup pesto, adding cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce.

Video

Notes

  • Yield: Recipe makes about 2 cups of pesto. The recipe can easily be made in a half or quarter batch, or a double batch. Nutrition information below is calculated for 1 tablespoon of pesto.
  • Storage/freezing: Store pesto in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze pesto in snack size bags or ice cube trays. When frozen, store in freezer bag or container for up to one year.
  • Variations: Omit nuts or substitute another type of nut. Omit cheese for vegan pesto. Replace some (or all) of the basil with tender greens such as spinach, or other herbs such as parsley or cilantro (try my cilantro pesto or nut-free arugula pesto). 

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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