Classic Basil Pesto

I don’t often post classic recipes on my blog, but pesto sauce is something I use often, so I thought it deserved a spot on here.

I’ll eat pesto sauce with almost anything. Eggs, chicken, pasta, sandwiches, drizzled on roasted veggies or mixed into grains like quinoa. It’s so quick and easy to make, I always have it in the fridge. It’s great to have on hand to spruce up any dish.

The ratios are important here. Too much basil and not enough Parmesan or pine nuts will result in a bitter sauce. At first, the amount of pine nuts might seem like too much, but once they’re blended into the sauce, you’ll see it’s the perfect amount. One ingredient you could cut down on is the garlic. If you don’t love garlic, like I do, you can reduce the amount of garlic cloves used here to two.

What I love about this pesto recipe is that you can use it as a base recipe, substituting ingredients to switch up the flavor profile as you’d like. Don’t love pine nuts? Substitute the same amount of another nut, like almonds or walnuts. Can’t find fresh basil? Make a parsley pesto instead! Parmesan too expensive at the store today? Try using feta.

Ingredient Notes:

• Fresh Basil Leaves – I love the classic flavor of fresh basil for this recipe, but you can always substitute other herbs and greens for a different flavor. Parsley, tarragon, arugula, spinach could all work. You can also use multiple herbs, instead of just one type.
• Parmesan Cheese – Best to get a Parmesan block, instead of pre-shredded or grated parmesan. The better quality the ingredients, the better your pesto sauce will be. You can substitute pecorino for a similar flavor profile. But for a totally different flavor, try using any cheese you like.
• Pine Nuts – These are by far my favorite nut, I probably eat them every day. I buy mine in bulk from amazon because they’re cheaper. But you can use any nut you’d like for a different favor. Blanched almonds (no skin), walnuts, hazelnuts. Or even seeds, like pepitas or sunflower seeds.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The better quality the olive oil you use, the better your pesto sauce will be.

Classic Basil Pesto

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Sauces, Dressings, and Marinades

Cuisine Italian

Servings 1 cup

Equipment

• 1 Food Processor (I used a mini one)

Ingredients

  

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• 2 oz. fresh basil leaves
• 1 ½ oz. freshly shredded or grated parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• Place all the ingredients aside from the salt and pepper into a food processor and puree to combine until as smooth as you’d like. Season generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

Pesto can be stored covered with a thin later of olive oil in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Keyword easy, fresh, no cook, No-Bake, parsmesan, Pine Nuts

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!