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Get It NowBasil pesto has always been one of my favorite sauces. I keep a jar in my fridge pretty much all year! But every time summer rolls around, I get excited to make my homemade pesto recipe using that fresh summer basil. Sorry-not-sorry, the store-bought stuff has nothing on the flavor and aroma of making it yourself. And since I make it with just 5 ingredients, it’s super easy and fast. Let me show you how to make pesto sauce, and you might find yourself with a freshly made jar in your fridge all summer, too.
Why You’ll Love My Basil Pesto Recipe
- Bright, fresh, and herby taste – Obviously basil is the star of the show here, but you’ve also got nutty, fruity, and cheesy flavors. There’s so much to love about it.
- 5 simple, good-for-you ingredients – Plus salt and pepper. There are many variations, but I’ll show you how to make pesto the basic way first. From there, you can make easy swaps to make it your own — see my substitution options below.
- Quick and easy to make – This pesto recipe takes me all of 5 minutes! You can whip it up really quickly while you’re waiting for your main or side dish to cook.
- Use it in many different ways – Seriously, you’ll never run out of ways to use this stuff. I use it for grilled chicken, noodles, fish, sandwiches, veggies, and even whisk it into salad dressings or mayonnaise. I have more ideas for you below!
- Stores very well – Homemade pesto keeps in your fridge for weeks, and you can freeze any extras. It’s the perfect perfect solution to your too-much-basil “problem” in the summer. (That’s not just me, right?)
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best pesto ingredients, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Wondering what pesto is made of? You only need 5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper, and they are easy to customize:
- Fresh Basil – The main ingredient! I prefer lighter green basil leaves for a brighter flavor, but you can opt for darker, larger ones for more intensity. You can also make pesto using other fresh herbs (like parsley, cilantro, or mint) or leafy greens (like arugula, spinach, or kale) for different flavors. You can even add oven dried tomatoes, in addition to or instead of the greens.
- Nuts – The traditional pesto I ate in Italy used pine nuts, so that’s what I put in my pesto recipe, too. But I’ve also tried it with macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, and cashews, and all of them taste amazing in their own way. For a nut free version, replace the nuts with seeds, such as pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – You could also use pecorino romano or Asiago cheese. If you can’t have dairy, replace the cheese with 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead. (I find that nutritional yeast is more intense than parmesan, so use about half the amount.)
- Olive Oil – I love my pesto sauce with extra virgin olive oil for its rich and fruity flavor, but regular olive oil also works.
- Garlic – You can’t beat the flavor of fresh garlic cloves, but I’ve made my pesto recipe with a teaspoon of minced jarred garlic in a pinch and it’s still delicious. I don’t recommend garlic powder, though.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Pesto
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Chop the nuts. Since we are blending the pesto sauce anyway, I just place nuts into my food processor, and pulse several times until broken up into smaller pieces. You could do it by hand though, if you’re not using a food processor (see my tips below).
- Add the other ingredients. Add the olive oil, garlic, cheese, basil, salt, and pepper into the blender or food processor. Push the fresh basil leaves into the olive oil.
- Give it a blend. Pulse intermittently, until the pesto recipe reaches your desired consistency. Scrape the sides occasionally with a spatula as needed.
My Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-process. In the first step, only pulse the nuts until they are broken up. If you over-process, you will end up with nut butter! Then in the final step, pulse intermittently instead of blending constantly. The texture of basil pesto can get too fine pretty quickly, so I recommend starting and stopping to keep an eye on the consistency.
- For larger food processors, add the oil in a thin stream. If your food processor is large and you’re making a small batch, don’t add the oil with the other ingredients, because it might not mix well. Instead, gradually pour in a thin stream while the food processor is running.
- No food processor? Use a powerful blender, or a mortar and pestle! You’ll just need to chop the nuts by hand. I’ve made this in my blender and it works great, but keep in mind it might not work as well if yours is less powerful. A mortar and pestle is actually the traditional Italian method. To do this, mash the garlic and combine with the chopped nuts, then add the basil leaves and salt (in batches), cheese, olive oil, and pepper. Make sure the pestle crushes each ingredient into a fine paste before proceeding to the next one.
- Adjust oil as needed. The amount you need can vary depending on how you measure your ingredients and how thick you want your pesto sauce recipe. If it’s too thick, just add more oil. If it’s too thin, you can blend in more basil, nuts, or cheese to your liking.
- A splash of lemon juice improves shelf life. I skipped this because I have a weakness for a 5-ingredient recipe, but adding 1-2 tablespoons can make your pesto last longer and preserves its bright green color. It can also help if the sauce flavor is too bitter or garlicky for your taste.
Storage Instructions
- Store: I keep my homemade pesto in a mason jar in the refrigerator, but any airtight container works. It lasts up to 2 weeks!
- Freeze: This sauce keeps in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to pour it into a silicone ice cube tray, so that I can easily pop out how much I need at any time. You can also transfer the frozen cubes to a zip lock bag once they are solid.
Common Questions
- What is pesto? Basil pesto is a bright green Italian sauce made from fresh basil, garlic, nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Unsurprisingly, the best one I’ve ever had was on our trip to Italy — but I think I’ve gotten pretty close with my pesto recipe.
- Is pesto healthy? Everyone’s definitions are different, but yes, I would consider pesto a healthy sauce. It checks the boxes for me: fresh, natural ingredients and healthy fats (from nuts and olive oil).
- Why did my pesto turn solid? It’s normal for pesto to turn solid in the fridge. I just set it out at room temperature to return to its normal consistency, or this happens naturally if I put it on warm foods.
Ways To Use It
There are so many ways to use this fresh and herby condiment! Here are some of my fave ways to make pesto recipes:
- Chicken – Pesto chicken is one of my go-to summer dinners, because it takes me minutes to prep and the flavors are all… summery. You can also use my homemade pesto as a marinade for juicy baked chicken breast, crispy grilled chicken legs, or even chicken leg quarters.
- Seafood – I just used it again for my pesto salmon, but it would be perfect drizzled on crispy broiled salmon or juicy shrimp skewers, too.
- Noodles – The most common way to use pesto is tossed with pasta! You can use your favorite kind. I prefer lighter options, like zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.
- Eggs – My latest obsession is frying eggs in pesto instead of oil. It’s so good! You can also drizzle it on top of cloud eggs or baked eggs.
- Veggies – For a burst of fresh flavor, add a few spoonfuls to your roasted vegetables or toss it with my cauliflower gnocchi.
- Potatoes – My latest experiment was tossing air fried potatoes with this pesto sauce. No regrets.
- Salads – I just thin it out with extra olive oil to turn it into a salad dressing! It makes a yummy dressing swap in my antipasto salad or shrimp salad, or drizzle it over Caprese skewers.
- Italian Dishes – I’m a huge fan of swapping this for the sauce in my zucchini lasagna, but you can also use it as the sauce on cauliflower pizza crust or use it for my sausage and peppers instead of marinara.
- Bowls – I recently made a Caprese salad inspired chicken bowl with some of my leftover chicken bites, and highly recommend. Top a bowl of rice (or cauliflower rice) with cooked diced chicken, along with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. Drizzle with homemade pesto and balsamic glaze.
My Favorite Food Processor For This Recipe
I used a smaller one for the pictures above, but in reality I usually make a double batch of this pesto recipe and use my big food processor. It’s so powerful and I’ve had it for almost 10 years with no issues.
Basil Pesto Recipe (5 Minutes)
Make this 5-minute homemade basil pesto recipe with basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, & olive oil. This sauce tastes amazing on everything!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Place the nuts into a food processor. (You can also use a powerful blender, but in this case chop the nuts first and then use the blender for steps 2-3.) Pulse several times until they are broken up into smaller pieces. Don't over-process, or you'll end up with nut butter!
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Add the basil, grated parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper to the blender. Push the basil leaves into the olive oil. If your food processor is very large, see my tips above before you add the oil.
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Pulse intermittently, scraping sides occasionally with a spatula, until the desired consistency is reached.
Did You Make My Recipe?
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Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
This pesto recipe makes 1 cup total.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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64 Comments
Rosie
0I tried the Basil Pesto recipe to add to your Zucchini Noodles recipe and they both turned out very well, except for a minor mistake I made with the noodles. However, my guests enjoyed them both, especially the pesto sauce, and finished it all.😋
Rosie
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Rosie! I’m glad it all worked out.
Tessa
0I’ve made this pesto twice, and it’s phenomenal! The entire family’s raves about it! Freezing the remaining in a silicone ice or mini muffin tray makes perfect single servings to use on baked salmon filets and more! Excellent!