Easy Pesto
10
Published Jun 23, 2024, Updated Jul 28, 2024
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This easy pesto recipe is the perfect way to enjoy fresh basil. It’s so quick to whip up (with just 6 ingredients) and tastes so much better than store-bought pesto.
During the summer months we always have a basil plant in the backyard and I make a batch of this pesto at least once every couple weeks. I love using this pesto in my pesto pasta salad, one pan pesto chicken or pesto salmon recipe! It’s so easy to whip up and works well with many different meals.
Pesto is so easy to make, but everyone needs a staple pesto recipe in their wheelhouse so I thought I’d share mine. It’s incredibly versatile, comes together in no time and takes just about any meal to the next level in terms of flavor!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Pesto
- Incredibly Versatile – I love how versatile pesto is! You can toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches, use it as a dip, or even drizzle it over grilled vegetables or meats. It’s a go-to for adding a gourmet touch to everyday meals.
- Quick and Easy – With just a handful of ingredients and a food processor, you can whip up this pesto in no time. It’s perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something delicious and homemade without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Customizable to Your Taste – One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is to tweak. Love garlic? Add an extra clove. Want to make it vegan? Swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast. You can even throw in some spinach or arugula for a different twist.
- Freezes Beautifully – Make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays for easy, portioned-out pesto whenever you need it. This way, you’ll always have a burst of fresh flavor on hand to enhance your recipes.
Ingredients Needed
Like I mentioned above you only need six ingredients for this easy basil pesto.
- fresh basil – I highly recommend using fresh basil for pesto. Dried basil will work in a pinch, but fresh basil makes such a difference!
- pine nuts – if you don’t have pine nuts on hand you can use another nut (cashews, walnuts, pistachios or almonds). Cashews would be my top choice because they have a similar texture to that of pine nuts.
- grated parmesan – Parmigiano-Reggiano is the cheese typically used for authentic pesto, but you can always use other hard cheeses like gruyere or pecorino, if desired. Learn more about the difference between parmesan and Parmigiano-Reggiano here. One thing I do recommend it buying a fresh hunk of parmesan and grating it yourself. Fresh parm is so much better than packaged parmesan. For this recipe you only need about 1 ounce of parmesan.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Recipe Variations
Here are some easy variations to try based on what you have on hand.
- Can’t find pine nuts? Swap in different nuts! Walnuts, pecans, pistachios or almonds will all work in this recipe.
- Nut free? Skip the nuts all together or use hemp seeds in place of nuts.
- Dairy free? Try this recipe for vegan pesto with walnuts.
- Try different herbs/greens! Use a mix of whatever herbs or greens you have on hand. I’ve made an arugula pesto before, but can’t wait to experiment with other herbs like parsley and cilantro.
How to Make
One of the reasons I love pesto is because it’s so simple to make!
Step 1: Add basil, garlic, pine nuts and grated parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Step 2: Add oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
How to Use
Besides being so simple to make, pesto is amazing because it’s incredibly versatile! Here are some fun ways to incorporate it into your meals:
- Bruschetta toast with pesto – add pesto to toasted bread and top with chopped tomatoes, roasted veggies and cheese.
- Breakfast – pesto + eggs = perfection… in all forms! I might try making a pesto omelette or even pesto baked egg cups!
- Veggie dip – I love dipping fresh veggies in pesto. It’s also delicious with crackers.
- On pasta – I love using pesto as a pasta sauce! Add some roasted veggies and protein to noodles and pesto and you’ve got a complete meal in no time at all.
- Pizza sauce – swap traditional pizza sauce for pesto for a flavor packed base to your pizza.
- Bake into homemade bread – on the homemade bread kick? Mix in some pesto or swirl some on top before baking.
- Salad dressing – either use pesto as your salad dressing or mix pesto into your favorite dressing for an extra herb-filled punch. Yum!
How to Store Leftovers
I typically use this entire batch of pesto when I make it, but if you’re prepping in advance or make a double batch you have a couple of options when it comes to storing.
- Refrigerate – it will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Freeze – freeze pesto in ice cube trays or muffin tins for individual servings you can defrost and use when you’re ready! You can also freeze the entire batch in an airtight container. Frozen pesto will last up to three months in the freezer. Learn more tips for freezing pesto.
Love Pesto? Try These Recipes:
- Naan Pizza with Butternut Squash and Pesto
- Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
- Pesto Spaghetti Squash Salad
- Pesto Salmon Bowl
- Almond Pesto Dip
- Pesto Chicken
- Baked Pesto Salmon
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Easy Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 small cloves garlic
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ⅔ cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, parmesan works too
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
- Pinch of ground black pepper, more to taste
Instructions
- Add basil, garlic, pine nuts and grated parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- Add oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It was not explained if the basil should be packed or not when measuring. Also garlic cloves come in various sizes.
Made it just today and love it… I added a bit of lemon juice for a wee bit of tang and I used cashews instead of pine nuts. This is a keeper recipe for sure and so easy to make! Thank you
Ahh yay! So glad you loved this pesto recipe, Judy. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
I love this!!! It looks so yummy!!!! Have to add this to my list of things to try!!!
From Naughty Nutrition
https://naughtynutrition.co/
such a classic 😍 I like to add sundried tomatoes to my pesto!
Me too!! SO delicious. 🙂
I’ve made your butternut squash naan pizza many times. It’s delicious!
I have found that toasting the pine nuts makes for an even better pesto. Also, I add the basil with olive oil drizzling on top after processing the garlic, nuts, & cheese. Never a bitter batch this way.
Hope you and yours are well Brittany.
Thank you lady!! Good idea toasting the pine nuts beforehand. I’ll have to try that!
My son has nut allergies, and we’ve had great success replacing the nuts with chickpeas when making pesto too!
Ohh good to know!! Thanks for sharing, Tracie. 🙂