Easy Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe

Homemade pesto is the perfect way to use up an excess of fresh basil from your garden. All it takes is a handful of ingredients and a few easy steps to transform fresh basil leaves into a delicious sauce for everything from pizza to pasta to sandwiches. 

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The word pesto comes from the italian word, ‘pestare’, which means ‘to pound or crush’. Authentic pesto would be made using a circular motion with a pestle and mortar. I’m super thankful for conveniences like a blender that make whipping up a batch of pesto super quick and easy!

If you’ve ever successfully grown basil, you know that one plant can make A LOT of basil!

If you’re like me and you over plant everything, you end up with so much basil that you couldn’t eat all of it even if you had it with every meal. Homemade basil pesto is the perfect solution to that “problem”!

I try to make and freeze enough pesto during the summer months to last through the long winter months when I can’t grow my own fresh herbs.

Don’t want to grow your own basil? Grocery stores usually only sell little bits of basil for seasoning, try your local farmers’ market instead!

What Cheese Is In A Classic Basil Pesto Recipe?

Oh, the cheese. A high quality cheese really shines in this recipe. A classic basil pesto recipe typically uses Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

My personal favorite to use is Peccorino Romano. A good Parmesan cheese would work well too. The salty, sharp taste of a hard cheese like these three imparts such a delicious flavor!

If you have money to splurge on one thing for this recipe, let it be the cheese!

Easy Basil Pesto Instructions:

• Place all ingredients except cheese in the bowl of a food processor or blender.
• Blend until finely chopped. It doesn’t take long! Scrape the sides of the food processor or blender to ensure no big chunks escaped being blended.
• Remove from blender/processor and add cheese. Stir until incorporated.
• Transfer to storage container. Ensure there are no air bubbles in pesto and top with a thin layer of olive oil. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

How Can You Preserve Homemade Pesto? It’s Easy!

The good news is, pesto freezes beautifully! It’s so handy to have a freezer stash, especially if you’re a last minute meal planner like me!

I love pesto so I use a lot at one time. I usually freeze my freshly made pesto in half pint {8 oz} jars but you could also freeze it in the tiny {4 oz} jelly jars or ice cube trays if you want to take out smaller amounts at a time.

With such intense flavor, a little bit goes a long way!

You could also freeze your pesto flat in a freezer bag. Just be sure to remove as much air as possible before closing!

When you need pesto for a recipe or snack, simply pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for a few minutes. Unless you use large amounts of pesto at a time, freezing in a small container verses a larger one will ensure none of that good pesto gets wasted!

What Can You Use Pesto For?

Pesto is actually a super versatile sauce that isn’t only for Italian recipes but can be used for a variety of dishes. Some of our favorite ways to eat pesto are:

• on a pizza in the place of a tomato based sauce…pesto pizza, yum!
• as a pasta sauce with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, shaved parmesan cheese, and your favorite pasta
• as a sandwich spread
• spread on cream cheese and served with crackers
• thinned with extra oil and used in place of salad dressing
• spread on toast
• a flavorful dipping sauce
• caprese salad with pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozarella
• caprese pasta salad…so delicious!

Can you tell I like caprese? The combinations of fresh basil or pesto, fresh garden tomatoes and soft fresh mozzarella is one of my absolute favorite things!

There are so many delicious ways to enjoy the fresh flavor of bright green, homemade basil sauce! Do you have a favorite way that I didn’t mention? Please be sure to share it in the comments below! I’m always excited to find new ways to use one of our favorite sauces!

If this is your first time making homemade pesto, you’re in for a real treat! Be prepared to never buy store-bought pesto ever again!

Commonly Asked Questions About Pesto:

Q: What is a good substitute for pine nuts in pesto?
A: A good substitution for pine nuts would be walnuts or even pecans. I’ve used both with good results! I’ve even heard of people substituting pine nuts with things like pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a nut-free pesto.

Q: Can you make pesto with any type of basil?
A: Genovese is the traditionally used variety of basil to make pesto, but you can definitely use whichever variety you have available.

Q: Why is my homemade pesto turning brown?
A: Once basil has been crushed or chopped, it oxidizes quickly, turning brown. To avoid this, quickly move it into your storage container after making and pour a thin layer of oil over the top of the pesto.

Q: Can you freeze pesto?
A: Yes! Like I mentioned above, pesto freezes beautifully! I prefer to freeze mine in 8 or 4 oz jars like the ones linked below. Freezing leftover pesto in small amounts lets you take out and thaw only what you need.

My Favorite Pesto Making Supplies: