Easy Basil Pesto Recipe

Basil pesto adds flavor to a multitude of dishes. Use it on everything from pasta to grilled chicken. Plus, this recipe freezes beautifully, so you can never make too much.

Homemade pesto is so much better than what you’ll get in a jar. Especially if you make this recipe in the summer when fresh basil is at its peak.

The history of pesto begins in Genoa, Italy. The Liguria region of Italy has a mild Mediterranean climate, similar to that of California. Fresh herbs are easy to grow.

The Italian word pestare means to pound. Pesto got its name mainly because it is a sauce made by pounding together herbs, nuts, and cheese.

The Italian version has always been made with fresh basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil. However, pesto, in a word, means pounded. This means you can make a variety of different variations of the original.

Let’s make get started!

What you’ll need…

• Fresh basil is what makes basil pesto so yummy. You’ll want about 3 cups of loosely packed leaves and tender stems.
• Parmesan cheese adds a salty and cheesy flavor. Parmesano Reggiano is my favorite variety of cheese for this recipe.
• Pine nuts. Small nuts with a slightly bitter flavor. However, you can swap in almonds, walnuts, or almost any other nut.
• Fresh garlic cloves add a spicy, garlicky note.
• Lemon juice adds an acid component to this recipe and also helps to keep the basil bright.
• Extra virgin olive oil adds emulsification to this flavorful sauce recipe. You can add more olive oil if you want a thinner sauce.
• Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (optional) balance the flavor profile. Make sure to test the flavor of your pest before you serve it. Adjust the seasonings accordingly.

Let’s get started…

1. Prepare the basil by gently pulling off the leaves and tender stems; you’ll want about 3 cups.
2. PRO TIP: Turn on the food processor and drop the garlic cloves through the shoot with the machine running. This is just a cool trick I learned to ensure there are no large chunks of garlic anywhere in your sauce.
3. Add the basil, the grated cheese, the nuts, the lemon juice, and the seasonings to the food processor and process until the mixture is finely pureed. Scrape down the sides once and the process one more time.
4. Add the olive oil. Turn the food processor on and drizzle the olive oil into the pest while the machine is running. Scrape down the sides once and the process one more time.

What do you eat basil pesto with?

Pasta

Simple pasta tossed with pesto is not only easy, but it’s also fantastically delicious. You can add protein or veggies to round out this meal.

What pasta is best?

My favorite pasta to serve with pesto is a pasta noodle that can hold sauce well like bucatini, farfalle (bowties), or penne.

How much should I add to pasta?

I usually use about a half-cup for every one pound of cooked pasta.

Adjust the amount to your taste. You can thin out the pesto if it feels too thick by adding a few extra tablespoons of olive oil.

Do you heat pesto before adding it to pasta?

It isn’t necessary to heat pesto before adding it to pasta, especially freshly cooked pasta.

The best way to add it is to drain the pasta and reserve a little bit of the pasta water.

Add the pasta to a bowl, top with sauce, and a few tablespoons of warm pasta water. Toss to combine.

What do you do with basil pesto?

• Pizza. Add a few tablespoons of instead of marinara sauce to your next homemade pizza, or simply add a few dollops on top of your favorite pizza.
• Chicken. Make a marinade with a few tablespoons of pest + a few tablespoons of oil + extra lemon juice.
• Add it to Salmon or Roasted vegetables.
• Make and aioli. Slather onto a sandwich or burger.
• Make a salad dressing. Use a quarter cup of homemade pesto sauce, then add one-quarter cup of olive oil + 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or champagne vinegar. Whisk and drizzle over your green salad or mix into a pasta salad.
• Compound butter. Bring one stick of butter to room temperature. Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of basil pesto. Place the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and then roll it into a log. Rechill and then serve with baked chicken or roasted potatoes.
• Freeze to store. Freeze in ice cube trays and then store in a freezer bag until you need to add flavor to pasta dishes or soup recipes.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few different varieties that you might want to try.

Beet

Beet pesto can be made by substituting the basil with grated beets. I recommend reducing the number of beets to one and a half or two cups (two or three small beets)

You can make this pesto with raw or roasted beets. I recommend seasoning it with garlic and chives. Pomegranate vinegar adds a tart sweetness to the earthy beets.

Carrot

You can also use carrots to make another version of root vegetable pesto. Try using goat cheese and a little oregano to give this pesto recipe a Mediterranean flavor profile.

Kale

Substitute the basil with kale. You can use lacinato kale or even baby kale if you want a mild kale flavor.

Mint

Start by swapping the basil for one to one and a half cups of loosely packed fresh mint leaves. Add two tablespoons of lemon zest.

Mint pesto is great on grilled chicken, and fish; but it’s amazing on lamb chops.

Sun-Dried Tomato

Use one cup of rehydrated sundried tomatoes and two cups of fresh basil in place of the basil in the original recipe.

Vegan Pesto

Substitute nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan cheese.

What to Serve with Pesto

This easy pesto recipe is excellent on grilled chicken or baked salmon. You can also add a dollop or two to your fresh homemade pizza.

I also use pesto in my baked polenta frittata. You can always add it to scrambled eggs or slather it on a burger or sandwich.