Basil Pesto Recipe

Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Try these easy, fun pesto recipe variations to brighten pasta, salads, roasted veggies & more!

Pesto Recipe

One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are just outside my doorstep. Fresh herbs make any meal instantly more flavorful and beautiful. My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It’s especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea. With just a few easy steps, it makes anything an instant tasty meal, whether you feel like cooking or not.

Pesto Recipe ingredients

What is pesto, and how do I make it?

Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps:

  1. Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they’re finely chopped.
  2. Add the basil and pulse again.
  3. Next, drizzle in the olive oil with the food processor blade still running.
  4. Finally, add grated Parmesan cheese and process briefly until combined. For vegan pesto, simply skip the cheese.

That’s it! It’s really simple to make, and it’s easy to vary according to the season or your mood. It will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, though its surface may start turning brown. As a result, it’s best to cover your pesto with a thin layer of plastic wrap or an extra drizzle of oil before sealing your container. This will keep it fresh and green!

Pine nuts in a food processor Fresh basil in a food processor

Pesto Recipe Variations

Once you’ve made the classic basil pesto recipe, try changing it up! You can make delicious variations with all sorts of nuts, seeds, veggies, and leafy greens. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Swap out the pine nuts for any nut of your choice! I particularly like walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
  • Make nut-free pesto by using pepitas or hemp seeds.
  • Use a different herb. Try replacing the basil with mint, cilantro, or parsley!
  • Or fewer herbs. Replace half the basil with 1 cup arugula, kale, or chopped zucchini. For a punchier twist, pulse in 4 artichoke hearts, a roasted red pepper, or half an avocado instead of half the basil.
  • Don’t let your veggie stems go to waste. Blanch 1/2 cup kale stems and blend them into pesto in place of half the basil.
  • Punch up the flavor! Add 2 to 4 sun dried tomatoes, a charred jalapeño, nutritional yeast, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

The possibilities are endless – let me know if you have a favorite variation!

Basil Pesto Recipe Pesto Recipe

I made pesto! Now what do I do with it?

The obvious choice is tossing pesto with pasta, but your options don’t end there. Spoon it over a Caprese salad, top it onto a grain bowl, scoop it onto spaghetti squash or mac and cheese, or incorporate it into this yummy zucchini casserole. We love it on polenta and homemade pizza, too. It’s even great on scrambled eggs! Do you have a favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments!

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Basil Pesto

rate this recipe:
4.95 from 281 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1 cup
This classic basil pesto recipe is nutty and bright. We love it on pasta, pizza, and more! See the post above for my favorite pesto sauce variations.

Equipment

  • Food Processor (I swear by my Cuisinart one for a smooth consistency!)

Ingredients

Basic Basil Pesto:

Instructions

  • In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
  • Add the basil and pulse until combined.
  • With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

 

 

235 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Gina
    03.21.2024

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! This is divine! I did use decadent pine nuts as when I used macadamia nuts with another recipe it wasn’t great.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.21.2024

      Hi Gina, I’m so glad you loved the pesto!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.15.2024

      Hi Ann, so glad you loved it!

  2. Cams
    02.28.2024

    2 stars
    Hi, as I make it the taste was good but upon mixing all ingredients together it turned bitter.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.01.2024

      Hi, I’ve had this happen occasionally with certain brands of olive oil. I’ve found that adding more cheese or nutritional yeast helps balance the flavor.

    • Cynthia K
      03.13.2024

      It starts out bitter however after 24 hours it’s delicious!

  3. Matthew
    02.12.2024

    This looks great! I’ll start adding this to my chilled, whole grain penne as part of my lunch each day. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.13.2024

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Megan
    01.24.2024

    This recipe is simple & delicious, I have already made it several times in the past few weeks since finding it. I have used other types of nuts (hazelnuts, cashews) and the pesto still turned out great! I only added about half of the olive oil from the recipe too.

  5. Ben.
    01.16.2024

    5 stars
    This sauce was delicious! The only change was that I added a bit more olive oil. Much better than the pre-made stuff! This will now be in regular rotation in my household.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.17.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

      • Ainsley
        02.09.2024

        I use half lurpak butter, half olive oil. Lasts for weeks and can be used on pesto bread.s, pizza bases, everything!! Delicious!

  6. Patrick
    01.16.2024

    I made this and it’s wonderful but I have a couple questions for clarification. 1) When I pulsed the pine nuts and other items it became more of a paste is that right? And 2) when you say 2 cups basil is that 2 cups weighed or two measuring cups full? I did the measuring cups and was great but I felt like it could use a bit more basil so I’m curious. All in all a fantastic recipe!!!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.17.2024

      Hi Patrick, when you pulse the nuts, I stop before they become a paste, just so they’re well chopped up. We use 2 packed measuring cups, which can be awkward to try to measure, so if you feel like you’d like more basil, go for it! I’m so glad you enjoyed.

  7. Marissa
    01.16.2024

    Hi! Might be a silly question but do I toast the pine nuts myself or do they usually come already toasted? Thank you!

    • Vicki
      01.16.2024

      The recipe actually says “toasted pine nuts”

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.17.2024

      Hi Marissa, I toast them lightly in a skillet before adding (or sometimes I just skip toasting altogether).

  8. Blaque
    01.15.2024

    4 stars
    This recipe was a helpful guide for me. I made this vegan using the “Follow your heart” brand vegan parm. I used garlic-infused olive oil and had to add a bit more than what the recipe stated to make it smoother. You can also use minced garlic in a jar to save time. It’s fantastic and great in Kale salads.

  9. Stephanie
    01.05.2024

    How long does it keep when refrigerated?

  10. Amy
    01.05.2024

    5 stars
    So yummy!!!!
    Definitely recommend this recipe!!
    I added a dash of water just to smooth it out but that’s just my personal preference, but still tastes yummy!!! 🙌

  11. William F.
    01.01.2024

    1 star
    Made this and added probably an additional half a cup to try and get it to come even close to a sauce, and it didn’t. It’s just a big tub of dry basil, essentially. This recipe does not work, and you should fix it before somebody gets seriously pissed off. Something about it is wrong,, because I followed the directions exactly as they were written.

    • S Lep
      01.02.2024

      Did you use fresh basil leaves or dried? Fresh basil is what the recipe should say.

      • William F
        01.02.2024

        I bought it in the spice aisle at a supermarket (not fresh) but, as a chef, it shouldn’t make a difference.

        • Sara
          01.13.2024

          Coming from a “True Chef” dried and fresh are not the SAME!

      • William F
        01.02.2024

        I used jarred basil from the supermarket but, as a chef, it shouldn’t make a difference.

        • Samantha
          01.05.2024

          william you are definitely not a chef

        • Linda
          01.12.2024

          It makes a HUGE difference!

        • Melody
          03.24.2024

          William, I’m a novice and even I know that there’s a SERIOUS difference between dried, jarred and fresh basil. Just TRY it with two packed cups of FRESH basil and you’ll see and taste the difference. By the way, at what culinary institute did you get your credentials?

    • Joan
      01.05.2024

      5 stars
      Hahaha! Either William is trolling you or what he means by chef is a McDonald’s fry cook.

      No chef in their right mind would use dry basil to make pesto. Even if you just pulsed the fresh basil in the Cuisinart, it would still be wet.

      I seriously doubt that Silly Willy went to culinary school.

    • Louise
      01.13.2024

      5 stars
      If you look at the photos she posted before the recipe, it shows fresh Basil.
      I make this recipe often and sometimes using a mix of fresh herbs and different nuts and it is always fantastic. Very flavorful and it makes more than enough to feed two people. The texture is perfect! I would recommend trying this recipe again using fresh basil and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

      • Jeanine Donofrio
        01.15.2024

        Hi Louise, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  12. Cindy Beharry
    12.17.2023

    5 stars
    Made this several times. Super delicious and easy.
    Thank you for sharing!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.