The Best Basil Pesto
Basil Pesto is simple enough to make but this recipe for the BEST Basil Pesto has a few tricks that make it absolutely outstanding. Quick, easy and freezer friendly, blend up a big batch to take you through the winter months.
Basil Pesto
I’m a terrible vegetable gardener and I’m going to blame my husband for the poorly selected plot of land I was allowed to try my hand at gardening with.
I knew before I plunged the shovel into the dirt to break ground for my vegetable garden that this was going to be a lost cause but I forged ahead….for the past two summers. I got a couple cucumbers, a dead zucchini plant, a two inch carrot, TONS of kale (I hate kale) and a boatload of green tomatoes.
Since I do very well in the herb gardening area, I always have a TON of fresh basil. The thing about basil is you need to stay on top of it or it will go to seed. Pinching off the ends to ensure it doesn’t flower and then die off is something I do several times a week. And also…..I make tons of Basil Pesto from scratch.
It’s a surefire way to use up what otherwise would just go to waste. And making big batches of it to freeze helps me have a little taste of summer in the middle of winter.
What Is Pesto
Basil Pesto, also called Pesto Genovese, is a flavorful sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan cheese. There are several variations of basil pesto, sometimes I like to add crushed red pepper to make it a little spicy.
There are plenty of store bought pesto sauces on the market but once you make it at home, nothing else will ever compare.
How To Make Fresh Pesto
Fresh Basil Pesto from scratch is so easy to make.
- Toast the pine nuts in a skillet until lightly golden.
- Place the basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheese in a food processor or blender and process until roughly chopped and a loose paste begins to form.
- Drizzle in the olive oil while running the processor is running until the desired consistency.
- Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until read to use.
How To Freeze
Making big batches of Homemade Basil Pesto and freezing it is one of my favorite things to do with it. It’s a great way to meal prep your way through the winter months.
To freeze your pesto, fill up the wells of ice cube trays and place in the freezer. Freeze until firm, then pop the frozen sauce out of the tray. Place the Basil Pesto Sauce cubes into a freezer bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
To thaw, simply place in a saucepan over low heat and thaw, stirring occasionally or heat in the microwave until thawed.
Pro Tips for the Best Pesto
- To maximize the flavor of your pesto, toast the pine nuts for a few minutes (be sure not to burn them) until golden. This step makes them a bit more buttery than raw pine nuts.
- Lemon….I know it’s not traditional but I like the bright, fresh flavor lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice give the pesto….and it helps keep the green color vibrant by preventing oxidation.
- Process in batches….I do half the ingredients in the food processor and process until very finely chopped….almost paste like, THEN I add the remaining ingredients to the processor and pulse so there are larger pieces of ingredients thought out the sauce. Bigger pieces means BIGGER flavor!
Serving Suggestions
I love to use the Basil Pesto sauce in soooo many recipes like this super easy Caprese Tortellini Salad and this AHHHMAZING Grilled Chicken recipe. It’s so totally easy and extra cheesy….a big hit with the kids!
- Basil Pesto Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Pesto Artichoke Stuffed Manicotti
- Grilled Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Grilled Pesto Salmon with Strawberry Cucumber Salsa
It’s also fantastic as a sandwich spread like in this Chicken Cutlet Sandwich or these super simple Meatball Sliders….both great recipes for game day!
More Easy Pesto Recipes
Want to see what else we have NOT growing in our garden…..check us out on Instagram!
Get the Recipe: The Best Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pine nuts
- 4 cups fresh basil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup olive oil
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Instructions
- Add the pine nuts to a small skillet over medium heat and toast until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, add 1/2 the pine nuts, 3 cups basil, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup cheese and lemon zest. Process the ingredients for approximately 30 seconds or until the ingredients are finely chopped.
- While the food processor is still running on low speed, slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup of olive oil and continue processing until a smooth paste begins to form. Stop the food processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the remaining pine nuts, basil, garlic and cheese to the bowl. Pulse the ingredients until finely chopped.
- Using a rubber spatula, transfer the pesto sauce to a bowl and stir in the remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Store the basil pesto sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Video
161 Comments on “The Best Basil Pesto”
Easy & tasty
Thank you!
Thankyou for this recipe… I love it and I love reading your trials n tribulations!! What I don’t love, and it isn’t just your site… it’s all the ads and junk on the side that you can’t remove, it makes me feel like I am running through a corn maze just trying to read!! Print the recipe is great for when I just want to make it (don’t have to print it, it just clears out the junk) but I like reading the story that goes along with it!!
Again thanks for the awesome recipe, it truly is the best!! Keep posting! I will kepp pinning!
Thank you so much, Tina! I, too, hate all the ads but they do help keep the site up and running because it’s not cheap to share recipes on the internet. A blog is costly to maintain and that’s why we have to run ads. Hopefully, someday, I’ll hit the lottery and can run the site without the ads….for now, I have to keep them. BUT I’m so glad you liked the recipe and hope you stick around for more! Best, Kellie
This recipe really is the best, and I’ve tried many. The lemon zest makes it perfect. Thank you.
Thank you so much! I agree, the lemon zest makes it. 🙂
I’ve been making this recipe for years and also freezing in ice cube trays. After many years, I tried a batch without the pine nuts and found no discernable difference in taste. One of many pesto uses that we love is a grilled pesto, tomato, and burrata
Sandwich – a wonderful riff on a Caprese salad.
YES!!! Love a good caprese grilled cheese with pesto. We do that a lot!
I love your recipe. Today, I made your recipe, It is quite delish. I love making variations of pesto. My favorite is broccoli, spinach, and mint with a splash of lemon. It is so good and tasty on anything like bread, veggies, crackers. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Oooo, totally love a good broccoli pesto! So good!
Thanks so much for posting, also enjoyed the video. Made 2 cups for me, is that what you get too? It doesn’t really look like it needs the last 1/4 cup of oil, so I think I’ll wait on that. Using it tonight to mix with a pasta, roasted green bean and potato dish. It smells fabulous and I have no doubt it will be fabulous!
I get about 2 cups, also. The last bit of oil helps to keep it preserved and green, I find if I use less that basil will oxidize and turn really dark.
I freeze my basil pesto to use throughout the year. I leave about ¼” of olive oil on the top to prevent oxidation during its time in the freezer. It stays bright green and taste fresh after thawing. I do freeze mine as a finished pesto with the cheese in it, no issues.
Great tip!
I have read that it is better to freeze the pesto without the cheese in it. Have you tried it both ways? Does it do fine in the freezer with the cheese?
I haven’t heard that but I’ve frozen this recipe with the cheese in it and it thaws just fine.
I always wonder how to measure something like basil leaves. How tight do you pack them in cup? Seems really subjective. Maybe someone has measured by weight? This has inspired me to go out and buy basil plants for summer.
It really is subjective, I lightly pack them in the measuring cup but if you want more basil….add more basil. I hope you give it a try….it’s my favorite thing to make in the summer!
I love this recipe! Thank you! I did make a slight change, I roasted the garlic and doubled the amount. Awesome!
Love the idea of roasted garlic! Thank you for your comment!
I would like to have a step by step recipe for the basil pesto recipe
Ummm, it’s right above the comments. 🙂
Hello!
Can this pesto be frozen!
I have soooooo much basil and looking for a pesto recipe I can freeze.
Yes! You can absolutely freeze it!
Love homemade pesto! This recipe looks like a keeper!
I love pesto it is my favorite thing to make with fresh basil. Definitely using your tips next time!
Hey “KELLIE” Your post is very I love This pesto recipes to eat Thank you great man for sharing awesome post
I absolutely love pesto- have you ever tried it on grilled cheese? This would be perfect! I love that this is pesto, without a bunch of extra ingredients, and it’s perfect!
My fave….thanks!
This is perfect pesto! Just the way my mom made it!