Best Basil Pesto

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

Oh hello! Got a load of fresh basil? Could we bend your ear to suggest the best use? Classic basil pesto. Is there anything better? It’s savory, garlicky, creamy, peppery, and you can slather a smear on anything. We use it on pasta to take it from plain to magnificent, and it absolutely makes our Pesto Pizza. Alex and I often buy it in the winter, but we go for homemade basil pesto in the summer when our basil plant has grown into a massive bush. If you’re never made basil pesto at home: now is the time! Keep reading for how to do it.

What is basil pesto?

Basil pesto is a sauce that originates in Italy (the city of Genoa, more specifically). The word pesto comes from an Italian word that means “pounded” or “crushed”. A pesto can refer to any type of sauce that is crushed, but pesto alla genovese, the version of pesto from Genoa, is the most popular version. The typical ingredients in basil pesto are:

• Fresh basil leaves
• Pine nuts
• Garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Salt

How to make basil pesto

Basil pesto is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, to grind the ingredients together. You can also make pesto in a blender or food processor. You’ll simply blend up all ingredients, then add the olive oil until the sauce becomes creamy.

Our version of basil pesto has a few unique features. First of all, pine nuts are traditional in basil pesto, but they can be pretty expensive here in the US. In our pesto you can use cashews and walnuts as a substitute; we’ve tested and both turn out fabulously! You can use any type of nut you prefer. My favorite is with pine nuts because it’s super classico, but the cashew version is just as good and we always have cashews around. Another feature we added to our basil pesto is a squeeze of lemon juice. It helps to brighten the flavors and takes it to a while new level.

Here’s how to make basil pesto:

• Toast the nuts for a few minutes in a dry skillet, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
• Place the nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely chopped.
• Add fresh basil leaves, lemon juice and salt. Start the food processor and add the olive oil in a steady stream. Add a bit more olive oil to bring to the desired consistency, if necessary.

Pesto variations

There are many ways to change up pesto! Here are a few variations on basil pesto for you:

• Vegan Cashew Pesto — want pesto without cheese? This vegan pesto uses a fancy trick to substitute a cheesy flavor.
• Easy Vegan Pesto — here’s another cheese free pesto variation: this one uses nutritional yeast to add cheesy flavor.
• Walnut Pesto with Basil — here’s a version of classic basil pesto sauce with walnuts.
• Basil Sauce — this basil sauce is like pesto without 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. Here’s how to freeze basil pesto:

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

Growing and storing basil

Ever grown basil? Alex and I are passionate supporters of the cause of growing basil: we often buy friends basil plants because it’s such a cooking game changer! Basil is easy to grow at home: it’s very hardy as long as you place it in full sun! Basil is our top herb to grow, because it adds an aromatic flavor to such a wide variety of recipes. If you’re looking to grow your own basil plant, we have a step by step guide: How to Grow Basil.

We also have a fantastic tip for storing fresh basil. When you harvest branches of your basil plant and bring them inside, they’ll wilt after about an hour unless you follow this trick! Place a little water in the bottom of a large ball jar, then place the stems inside, cut side down. Add the top and it will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator! More information is here: How to Store Basil.

Did you know you can also preserve basil by drying it? Go to How to Dry Basil.

Best pesto recipes

Once you’ve made your basil pesto: what to do with it? There are thousands (or maybe millions?) of recipes for how to use basil pesto online and in cookbooks. To help you sort through the clutter, here are our best recipes with pesto:

• Pesto Pizza: Slather pesto on pizza dough and top with mozzarella and thinly sliced tomatoes.
• Pesto Pasta: Add basil pesto to any type of pasta, and add sliced cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
• 5 Minute Pesto Breakfast Sandwich: This recipe really takes 5 minutes, if you already have the pesto made. It’s a flavorful healthy breakfast!
• Pesto Grilled Cheese on the Grill: Throw basil pesto in grilled cheese: better yet, this one’s made on an actual grill!
• Pesto Portobello Mushroom Burger: This pesto portobello burger is seriously tasty; of course, you could spread it on any burger for a tasty topping. Or, this Eggplant & Tomato Stacked Sandwich.

Looking for a food processor?

You’ll need a food processor for this pizza dough recipe! Here’s the one we recommend. You’ll need a large sized food processor to accommodate this batch.

This basil pesto recipe is…

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

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