Add basil, garlic, cheese, nuts, salt, and pepper to a food processor and process until mostly smooth.
With the processor running, slowly add the oil through the chute until desired consistency is reached. More or less oil may be needed.
To serve with pasta: Cook 1 pound of pasta to al dente, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Toss pasta with 1/2 cup of the pesto, adding cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce.
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Notes
Recipe makes about 2 cups of pesto. Nutrition information is for 1 tablespoon of pesto. It does not include pasta.
The recipe can easily be made in a half or quarter batch.
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.