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.
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161 Comments on “The Best Basil Pesto”
This is a great recipe! Thank you! I add my pesto to just about anything! It does wonders for Minestrone soup, tomato soup, pasta sauces, pizza, eggs and Potato Salad!
One thing though: I love freezing pesto, but find the Parmesan has a rubbery texture if you freeze it and basically says “Yes, this has been Frozen!”. I freeze it without the cheese and then add the cheese once it’s thawed. I like it better that way.
Cheers!
Such a great tip to add the cheese later! I think it does depend on the type of cheese you add and how finely you grate it but adding it after it’s thawed is a fantastic idea! Thank you for sharing.
Re/Pina Colada Bread..I made same recipe baking muffins..wasn’t sure about the cream coconut for glaze..used a canned one from Trader Joe’s..so unusual..ended up adding more powdered sugar..still wasn’t happy with the taste but when I added the toasted coca nuts topping and tasted the whole muffin it was quite nice..
Hi Jeani, so glad you loved the end result!
Just finished six jars (6 oz) !
Absolutely the Best! Added extra garlic and lemon zest.
Thank you so much for the recipe and the tips, it made the process so easy. Thanks again.
So glad you loved it!
I just made another two batches this morning using your recipe. This time I used Walnuts. Still can out awesome!
OMG! Best pesto!!!
Thank you!!!!
I have been making pesto for years and never heard of using lemon. I tried your recipe and loved it. Lemon makes it. Thank you. I make a lot of recipes using pesto because I always have a lot of basil.
I agree! The lemon does make it. I’m so glad you gave it a try and loved it. Thank you so much for your comment!
I’ve been looking for a recipe for the basil I’ve been growing this summer and this one looks perfect! Have you ever canned it in jars? I would love to give as a hostess gift for the holidays but not sure if that would be viable.
To be honest, I’ve never tried canning it. You can definitely freeze it but I understand how the presentation of a shelf stable jar would be more appealing. It does contain acid so it should be fine for canning but I haven’t tried it to be sure.
I put pesto in small jars top with olive oil and as I use it I cover with more oil and keep in fridge. Am still using months later. Never had a problem
It’s the best in the winter when you can just pull one of the jars out. Thank you for your comment!
Have you ever tried lime instead of lemon?
YES! And it’s amazing….just a little lean to fruity and less tart.
This is hands down, the best Pesto recipe I’ve ever tried!!! Finally, a recipe that wowed me. I used pecans since that was all I had, but it turned out great. I really believe the way it’s processed makes a difference too. Great consistency and flavor!
I’m so thrilled you loved it. It’s definitely one I developed over the years with some trial and error. Thank you for your comment!
This looks wonderful. I’m curious: do you grate your cheese by hand, or use the pre-shredded cheese from the store? Does it matter which type you use? Thanks.
I do grate my cheese by hand….if you can find good quality grated cheese then that would work, too.
Excellent recipe. I used walnuts and non dairy Parmesan cheese. So delicious
Thanks
Thank you for your comment!
How long will it keep in the fridge?
We use it up most often within 7 days but have kept it in the fridge for about two weeks. You can also freeze it.
A super easy and delicious way to use a bounty of basil from the garden. We’re going to make chicken pesto pizza with it for dinner tonight.
That sounds wonderful! This is our favorite pesto recipe and love to use it for this Pesto Cavatappi, too!
Hi,
Do you have a tip for quickly picking the leaves from the stems?
Maybe I’m doing it wrong, for me, that part takes much much more than 5 min ….
I just pull them off the stem kind of hastily. It’s okay if some of the stem ends up in the food processor.
Fabulous! I love pesto, this recipe with the lemon zest is especially lovely!
Thank you so much for your comment!