Best Basil Pesto (in 5 Minutes!)

The best way to use up a supply of fresh basil? The pesto of course! Here’s our best basil pesto recipe, made the classic Italian way.

Oh hello! Got a batch of fresh basil? Can we lend an ear to suggest the best use? Classic basil pesto. Is there anything better? It’s savory, garlicky, creamy, peppery and you can spread it on anything. We use it on pasta to take it from simple to awesome, and it absolutely makes our pesto pizza. Alex and I often buy it in the winter, but we opt for the homemade basil pesto in the summer when our basil plant has grown into a massive bush. If you’ve never made basil pesto at home, now’s the time! Read on to find out how.

What is basil pesto?

Basil pesto is a sauce that has its origins in Italy (more specifically in the city of Genoa). The word pesto comes from Italian and means “pounded” or “pounded”. A pesto can refer to any type of pureed sauce, however Biscuit pesto, Genoa’s version of pesto, is the most popular version. The typical ingredients of basil pesto are:

• Fresh basil leaves
• pine nuts
• Garlic
• parmesan cheese
• olive oil
• Salt

How to make basil pesto

Traditionally, basil pesto is prepared using a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together. You can also make pesto in a blender or food processor. You just mix all the ingredients and then add the olive oil until the sauce turns creamy.

Our version of basil pesto has some unique properties. First, pine nuts are traditional in basil pesto, but they can be quite expensive here in the US. You can use in our pesto cashew nuts and walnuts as a replacement; We tested it and both turned out fabulous! You can use any type of nut you prefer. My favorite is with pine nuts because it’s great classic, but the cashew version is just as good and we always have cashews on hand. Another feature we added to our basil pesto is a a squeeze of lemon juice. It helps liven up the flavors and take them to a new level.

How to prepare basil pesto:

• Toast the nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
• Place walnuts, parmesan and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
• Add the fresh basil leaves, lemon juice and salt. Start the food processor and add the olive oil in a steady stream. If necessary, add a little olive oil to achieve the desired consistency.

Variants of pesto

There are many ways to change up the pesto! Here are some variations of basil pesto for you:

• Vegan Cashew Pesto – Fancy pesto without cheese? This vegan pesto uses a fancy trick to substitute for a cheese flavor.
• Easy Vegan Pesto – Here’s another no-cheese pesto variation: This one uses nutritional yeast to add cheese flavor.
• Walnut Basil Pesto – Here’s a version of the classic basil pesto sauce with walnuts.
• Basil Sauce – this basil sauce is like pesto without the nuts and cheese! It’s remarkably good.

How to freeze pesto

Here’s an important note! The best way to store homemade pesto if you’re not going to eat it all at once is to freeze it. How to freeze basil pesto:

• Pour the pesto into an ice cube tray and place in the freezer.
• Once frozen, remove the cubes and place in a sealed freezer-safe container.
• When you’re ready to eat, you can take out small portions of pesto. Place them in a container and let them come to room temperature on the counter or in the fridge.

Growing and storing basil

Have you ever grown basil? Alex and I are passionate about growing basil: we often buy basil plants from friends because it makes such a difference in the kitchen! Basil is easy to grow at home: it’s very hardy provided you put it in full sun! Basil is our top herb to grow because it adds aromatic flavor to such a wide variety of recipes. If you want to grow your own basil plant, we have a step-by-step guide: How to grow basil.

Plus, we have a great tip for keeping basil fresh. If you harvest sprigs from your basil plant and bring them indoors, they will wilt after about an hour unless you follow this trick! Pour some water into the bottom of a large saucepan with balls, then place the stalks in, cut side down. Add the top and it stays fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days! More information here: How to store basil.

Did you know that you can also preserve basil by drying it? Go to dry basil.

The best pesto recipes

When Your Basil Pesto Is Done: What To Do With It? There are thousands (or maybe millions?) of recipes for using basil pesto online and in cookbooks. To help you sort it out, here are our best pesto recipes:

Are you looking for a food processor?

You will need a food processor for this pizza dough recipe! Here’s the one we recommend. You’ll need a full-size food processor to pick up this batch.

This basil pesto recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, use Vegan Pesto.