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    Home » Recipes » Condiments

    Homemade Basil Pesto!

    Published: Mar 11, 2022

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    Homemade Basil Pesto is such an easy thing to make, and can elevate so many different dishes. Use this as a sauce on pasta or pizza, toss it on popcorn, or just eat it with a spoon!

    Originally published July 9, 2013. Updated on 3/11/2022

    A square bowl of homemade pesto.

    With summer in full swing, it's time for all the fresh, homemade basil pesto we can handle! To fully take advantage of the fresh basil season, I present you with my pesto recipe!

    While pesto seemed gross to me when I was a kid (I think it was probably a cheap jar of pesto from a grocery store?), I revisited the subject as a young adult, shortly after I moved to the United States.

    My husband and I would stroll farmers’ markets on a regular basis. One time, a vendor at the local farmers market was selling her Pesto Genovese - fresh pesto made from basil, and we bought a jar.

    Not sure what to do with it, we sampled it with a spoon to get some ideas.

    ... we went through the whole jam jar worth in one sitting, just sat at the table and going at it with the spoon.

    That was around 15 years ago, and we haven’t learned to have any more chill with homemade pesto, even to this day. As soon as I make a batch of one of my pesto sauce, the spoons come out.

    While you can buy premade classic pesto in grocery stores, it doesn’t tend to be GOOD pesto. Good thing it takes only a couple of minutes to make!

    Try it on your own Homemade Pasta, in my
    Pesto Chicken Panini, etc!

    Or, you know ... just snarfed with a spoon or on crackers.

    We may be just a little addicted, here!

    Note

    If you have access to a lot of basil, I recommend doubling or tripling (or more!) this recipe.

    When in doubt, just know that it freezes very well - spoon into small freezer bags, push the air out, and seal.

    On the other hand, if you’re buying basil at a grocery store and find obscenely expensive at the time, this recipe is easily halved.

    A round bowl of basil pesto.

    Pesto Ingredients

    Pesto is made from very few, fresh ingredients, but they’re important! A few thoughts on them:

    Fresh Basil

    There are many varieties of basil that you can use. Genovese basil / sweet basil is traditional and most popular, but feel free to use whatever variety of garden basil you have on hand / have access to.

    Use fresh, ideally unblemished leaves. Cut off all of the stems before measuring the leaves.

    A large bunch of basil on a stove top.

    Parmesan Cheese

    Ideally, you’ll use a chunk of Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself.

    Pre-shredded Parmesan is acceptable also... just don’t use the fine crumble stuff you see on tables at pizza restaurants!

    Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    I like to use a lightly coloured/flavoured extra-virgin olive oil, to not overpower the basil flavour.

    Also, you can add a little more if you like, depending on your use. As-is, this is great as a spread, or tossed in pasta.

    If you’re tossing it on popcorn or dipping bread in it, a little more olive oil will thin it out a bit.

    Pine Nuts

    If you’re mixing your pesto into a dough that needs to be rolled out thinly - such just as *in* a pasta dough - I recommend skipping the pine nuts, as they tend to tear the dough when rolled out.

    Otherwise, enjoy!

    I love pine nuts, I just wish they didn’t cost so much.

    Toasting them is optional, I love the roasty flavour it gives them, though.

    Fresh Garlic

    I’m not one of those people who call for a single clove of garlic - this recipe calls for 8 garlic cloves!

    While it might be overkill, but I like to use my Garlic Press before adding the garlic to the food processor, just to ensure it’s *finely* chopped and well distributed.

    Shredded Parmesan cheese and several garlic cloves on a cutting board.

    How to Make Basil Pesto

    The actual recipe is at the end of this post, but here’s a pictorial overview for those who like visuals and extra notes / info

    If necessary, wash and dry your basil leaves (With a salad spinner or paper towels). Set aside.

    A large bunch of basil on a cutting board,

    Measure pine nuts and a pinch of salt into a nonstick pan. Toast over medium heat - stirring frequently - until lightly browned and aromatic.

    Pine nuts being toasted in a nonstick pan.

    Measure basil, garlic, cheese, and oil into the bowl of a food processor, blitz until basil is rough chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times.

    Basil, cheese, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor, before and after being chopped up.

    Add pine nuts, blitz until basil and pine nuts are finely chopped.

    Pine nuts added to the food processor and chopped in.

    If you want a really smooth pesto, you can continue blitzing it until it’s a fine paste - personally, I like a bit of texture.

    Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste.

    Transfer to an airtight container, store pesto in the fridge.

    A square bowl of homemade pesto.

    Pesto Notes

    A Note on Oxidation

    Pesto will darken/brown if exposed to air.

    If your container has a lot of head space, press a piece of plastic wrap against the pesto before securing the lid.

    Alternately, you can spray the top generously with olive oil, or pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto.

    Freezing Pesto

    Have some leftover pesto, or looking for an easy way to have small amounts of pesto on hand, to add a pop of flavour to your pasta, pasta salad, dressing, potato salad, soup, etc?

    Portion some of your fresh basil pesto out into the cavities of an ice cube tray, and freeze it.

    Once frozen, transfer the pesto cubes to a proper freezer bag, suck the air out, and seal. Will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    A round bowl of basil pesto.

    Serving Ideas

    While straight pesto one of the easiest - and, arguably, the best way - to use this classic basil pesto recipe is to smother pesto over al dente, hot pasta - there are all kinds of other ways to use this versatile sauce.

    A few ideas:

    - Use pesto as a sandwich spread, instead of - or in addition to - mayonnaise. It’s great on a classic turkey sandwich, and fabulous in our Pesto Chicken Panini!

    - As a pizza sauce. I’ll make a pesto shrimp pizza sometimes - spread the dough generously with pesto, top with shrimp, roasted red pepper, cheese, etc.

    - Use it in marinades and homemade salad dressings - it really kicks up the flavour of vinaigrettes.

    - Spread on toasted slices of baguette and serve with pasta as an alternative to traditional garlic toast / garlic bread.

    ... oh, and back to the subject of pesto pasta, a couple more thoughts:

    - Add some to your white wine sauce or Alfredo sauce for a quick, creamy basil sauce.

    - Don’t stop with traditional pasta!

    This traditional pesto alla genovese is also a great recipe to serve over potato gnocchi, zucchini noodles, or - for an incredibly low carb option - Palmini Noodles. See my keto Pesto Shrimp Palmini, on the low carb blog!

    A square bowl of homemade pesto.

    Pesto Variations

    As written, this is a very basic, standard, traditional pesto. Don’t let that stop you from playing with it, though - almost any of the main ingredients can be swapped out!

    Here are a few ways I’ve varied my pestos:

    - Swap Basil Leaves for spinach, kale, or other leafy greens, add a handful of fresh herbs if you like! We especially love this as a bright green sauce for pasta.

    - Swap Parmesan Cheese for Asiago, Romano, Pecorino Romano, or Fiore sardo / Pecorino Sardo, any other good quality, flavourful aged cheeses.

    - Olive Oil can be swapped out for avocado oil.

    - Pine Nuts can be swapped out in favour of almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts. Chop them up a bit before adding them to the food processor, though!

    - Roast up a whole garlic bulb, squeeze the softened garlic cloves into your food processor instead or - or along with - the fresh garlic.

    Mix and match these subs to come up with something perfect for you - or what you have on hand!

    A round bowl of basil pesto.

    More Seasoning & Condiment Recipes

    Looking for some healthy recipes for tasty ways to add a little something extra to your dish? Here are a few ideas:

    Berbere Seasoning
    Canadian Popcorn Seasonings
    Chow Chow Relish
    Cilantro-Mint Chutney
    Diana Sauces (Replica Recipes)
    Homemade Hop Extracts
    Homemade Seasoned Salt
    Homemade Vanilla Extract
    Honey Dill Dipping Sauce
    Honey Garlic Cooking Sauce
    Hoppy Dill Pickle Relish
    How to Make Compound Butters
    Montreal Steak Spice & Marinade
    Olive Salad for Muffalettas
    Porter's Yogurt & Ice Cream Topping
    Roasted Beet Ketchup
    Smoky Dry Rub for Wings
    Sushi Sauce Recipes
    Tangerine Thyme Dry Rub
    Thai Cilantro Pesto

    A round bowl of basil pesto.

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star review and/or a comment below!

    A round bowl of basil pesto.

    A small white bowl full of homemade basil pesto.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 1 vote

    Homemade Basil Pesto

    Basil Pesto is such an easy thing to make, and can elevate so many different dishes. Use this as a sauce on pasta or pizza, toss it on popcorn, or just eat it with a spoon!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 6 - 2 cups
    Calories: 191kcal
    Author: Marie Porter

    Equipment

    Food processor
    Mini Food Processor

    Ingredients

    • 5 cups Packed Fresh Basil Leaves
    • 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
    • 1 cup Olive Oil
    • ½ cup Pine Nuts
    • 8 Garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
    • Salt and Pepper

    Instructions

    • If necessary, wash and dry your basil leaves. Set aside.
    • Measure pine nuts into a nonstick pan. Toast over medium heat - stirring frequently - until lightly browned and aromatic.
    • Measure basil, garlic, cheese, and oil into a food processor, blitz until basil is rough chopped.
    • Add pine nuts, blitz until basil and pine nuts are finely chopped.
    • Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Transfer to an air tight container, store in fridge.

    Notes

    Note: pesto will darken/brown if exposed to air. If your container has a lot of head space, press some plastic wrap against the pesto before securing the lid.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1288IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 2mg

    A close up view of traditional pesto.

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    Marie Porter


    Evil Cake Overlord, All -Around Kitchen Badass!

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