There's something magical about the vibrant green of freshly made basil pesto. It's a family favorite, and for good reason! This versatile sauce can instantly brighten up a simple bowl of pasta, elevate roasted veggies and pizza, or serve as a flavorful spread on sandwiches.
Making your own basil pesto at home allows you to capture the essence of summer, preserving that garden-fresh flavor to enjoy all year round.
The process of creating this kitchen staple that your family will love to have on hand
begins with the Basil.
Basil pesto calls for a generous amount of fresh basil, so it's worth growing your own if you plan to keep a stash on hand for whenever you crave an easy and delicious dish.
By simply trimming the flowering tops of your plants once a week, you'll encourage continuous growth, ensuring a steady supply for your pesto-making sessions.
Note: This recipe yields a single batch, perfect for those who just want a quick meal. However, if you're looking to stock up, your blender can handle four batches at once. My motto: eat one, store three!
List of Ingredients
1/3 cup toasted Pine Nuts
2 cups Basil leaves (packed)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 large garlic clove
1/4 Tsp salt
Fresh ground Black Pepper
Step 1: Let’s Get Started by Toasting the Pine Nuts.
Toasting pine nuts allows their flavor to shine. Whatever you do, don’t walk away while they’re toasting! Because pine nuts are so expensive and they burn quite easily, it’s important that you toast them correctly.
The easiest way to toast pine nuts is on the stove. Add them to a small dry skillet that fits them in a single layer. It doesn’t really matter what kind of skillet you use. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook them, stirring occasionally or tossing the skillet, until they’re golden-brown and smell quite nutty.
The total toasting time will take about 3 to 5 minutes. Once they’re toasted, set them aside (out of the hot skillet so they don’t continue cooking) to cool.
Now is the perfect time to go pick your basil.
Step 2: Prepare the Rest of Your Ingredients
Peel your garlic (I'm a smasher so it's broken up a bit)
Squeeze your lemon juice
De-stem your basil (little stems are fine, I only remove the big ones)
Have a food processor or blender handy, a baking spatula to scrape the sides of your blender, and containers for storing it.
Why all blenders are now square instead of round is beyond me!! Ridiculous actually. 🤷🏽♀️
Step 3: Bring it all Together
In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped. Scrap down with spatula as needed.
Add the basil and pulse until combined. If you are making a large batch you will need to add about half of the basil first. Pulse it to break it down and then add the rest. Scrap down the sides to combine as needed.
Grate your Parmesan and measure out your Olive Oil while pulsing.
Pour in a little of the olive a time and pulse to further break down the basil and begin making it smoother.
Once all of the Olive Oil is combined, add the Parmesan cheese, and pulse to briefly combine.
For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil. (I find I often do)
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 parchment paper or an extra drizzle of oil before sealing your container. This will keep it fresh and green!
If your making a big batch to freeze just fill four containers equally and freeze.
Enjoy!
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 almonds and pistachios. (Walnuts are tasty but dull the colour)
Make nut-free pesto by using pepitas or hemp seeds.
Replace half the basil with a different herb such as parsley or cilantro (if you inherited that gene unlike the rest of my family 😔) or with a tasty green such as arugula or kale..
Do you have a favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments!
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