Valentina Ablaev
If you’re looking for the perfect basil pesto recipe, you’re in the right place! This homemade pesto is loaded with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese, then blended into a delightful sauce. This pesto will take your home-cooked meals to the next level! Use homemade pesto to create a delicious creamy pesto chicken for the perfect 30-minute meal!
This classic pesto sauce is the perfect sauce to make from scratch! It is easy to make, and the flavors beat any store-bought pesto. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to bring the fresh flavors of italy to your kitchen!
A homemade pesto sauce is the most incredible way to upgrade your home cooking. Our creamy pesto pasta is an instant classic with great, fresh flavors.
Sauce From Scratch is Best
We can all agree that everything is better when made from scratch, and this pesto is no exception! You simply can’t top a homemade sauce; elevate any dish from a creamy alfredo sauce to a chimichurri from scratch.
Basil Pesto Recipe Ingredients
Fresh flavors are key for the best pesto recipe, especially the fresh basil. Here is what you’ll need for the basil pesto:
- Basil – fresh basil leaves are the key to the iconic flavor in a homemade pesto.
- Parmesan – freshly grated parmesan cheese gives this pesto that iconic salty flavor.
- Pine nuts – not only do pine nuts give this pesto a delicious nutty flavor, but they also make the sauce creamy.
Substitute: Don’t have pine nuts? No worries! You can use walnuts or blanched almonds! The flavor will be slightly different but just as delicious. - Seasoning – all this pesto needs is some salt to bring out all of the flavors.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is blended into this sauce and adds an incredible flavor.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil is key to a delicious pesto.
Substitute: Avocado oil or grapeseed oil are great substitutes. - Lemon juice – freshly squeezed adds the perfect amount of zest.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Basil Pesto Recipe
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender or a food processor. Pulse until you get a smooth consistency.
- Serve, and enjoy!
Pro Tip of the Day:
- Don’t skip an ingredient. Every ingredient in this recipe serves a purpose and should be used for the perfect result.
- Add more herbs. Bring more flavors to your pesto by blending in parsley, cilantro, and even mint. The variations are endless.
How to Use Basil Pesto
There are so many ways to use the pesto in meals. Here some of our favorite uses for basil pesto:
- Pasta: Pesto is the perfect way to elevate your pasta! Add to your favorite alfredo pasta recipe to get your very own pesto pasta.
- Pizza: Pesto makes an excellent sauce for homemade pizza! Add pesto to your favorite pizza dough recipe to get your very own pesto pizza! The best combination is adding pesto to your chicken alfredo pizza. The flavors go together so well!
- Salad dressing: Add a spoonful of pesto to your favorite homemade pasta salad!
- Marinade: Pesto makes an easy chicken marinade!
- Sandwich: Did you know you can use pesto as a sandwich spread? Use pesto as a sandwich bread on an italian sub sandwich for the best flavor combo.
FAQ’s
Fresh herbs are the key to a great homemade pesto; dried basil won’t give that same flavor.
A food processor or a blender is a must for getting the perfect sauce texture. You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the mixture into a bowl.
To make this pesto vegan, simply opt out of using parmesan cheese.
In most recipes, lime and lemon juice are interchangeable. In this recipe, we do not recommend substituting for lime juice.
Store & Reheat
- Freeze. Pesto can be frozen to prolong the storage time. You can add the pesto to a plastic bag and freeze. Or you can add the pesto to ice cube trays and store the tray in the freezer! Store the pesto for up to 3 months. Thaw: Let the pesto thaw in the fridge, and use as desired.
- Storage. Homemade pesto can be stored for up to a week. Keep in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for peak freshness.
More Sauce Recipes
If you enjoyed this classic basil pesto recipe, be sure to try our other homemade sauce recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this homemade basil pesto recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Pesto Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil tightly packed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve, and enjoy friends!
Notes
- How to use pesto: Pesto can be used in various ways! Use pesto in pasta, pizza sauce, chicken marinade, or as a sandwich spread. The options are endless!
- Refrigerate pesto: Pesto can be kept fresh for up to a week if stored properly. Keep in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge.
- Freeze pesto: Keep pesto fresh longer by freezing! Add the pesto to a ziploc bag and freeze. Frozen pesto can be stored for up to 3 months. Use frozen or thaw in the fridge before use.
