Classic Pesto Recipe
Pesto is such a versatile sauce. It’s fantastic tossed with any pasta, gnocchi, or used as a spread on sandwiches. This pesto recipe is also the secret ingredient in Chicken Pesto Pasta and Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups.
Homemade pesto is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make and fresh tastes so much better than storebought. During the summer months, we keep a steady supply of this fantastic sauce in the fridge and freezer since it stores really well.
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I’m always comparing this homemade pesto to the Costco pesto (which is the best store-bought one I’ve found) and this fresh pesto recipe wins. The lemon juice keeps the color bright and beautiful and adds fresh flavor without needing too much extra salt.
What Is Pesto Sauce?
Pesto is basically a bright green sauce that is made from crushing together basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.
It’s a sauce that originated in Italy, with the term pesto derived from the Italian word “pestare” which means “to crush”. It was originally made using a Mortar and Pestle but we find it’s faster and easier in a food processor.
Ingredients for Basil Pesto
Most of the ingredients needed for this pesto recipe are things you probably already have on hand. If you don’t have basil growing in your garden, it’s best to buy it fresh the day you are making the sauce.
- Basil – use fresh basil leaves. The common basil leaves for pesto are large leaf basil, sweet basil, or genovese basil
- Parmesan cheese – shredded
- Extra virgin olive oil – use the best quality oil you can source
- Pine nuts – these are typical for pesto, but we have substituted with walnuts with great results
- Garlic cloves – we use 2 large cloves
- Lemon juice – use freshly squeezed juice from 1 large or 2 smaller lemons. Do not use lemon juice concentrate.
- Salt & Pepper – can be added to taste
Can I substitute Pine Nuts?
While traditional pesto sauce is made with pine nuts, you can certainly replace the pine nuts with a less expensive nut such as walnuts, or blanched almonds which work great.
Pro Tip: To get the most flavor out of your pine nuts, toast them on a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often until golden and fragrant then cool before using in the recipe.
What Type of Basil Should I Use?
There are many varieties of basil. A few of the most popular include Italian large leaf (sweet basil), Thai, and lemon basil.
Any of these can be used for pesto but each has a slightly different flavor profile. For a traditional basil pesto flavor, you’ll want to use the Italian large leaf. It’s the basil leaf that most people typically think of as “normal” basil. It’s also referred to as sweet basil or Genovese basil. This is the type of basil sold in most grocery stores.
How to Make Basil Pesto
- Prep Basil – Gently rinse fresh basil leaves and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
- Process Sauce – Place all of your ingredients to a food processor or a high powered blender and process until smooth.
Pro Tip: After blending the pesto, add more salt to taste if desired. Keep in mind that store-bought pesto sauces can be significantly saltier since they are compensating for freshness. Salt also preserves the sauce for longer shelf life.
Serve with
Basil pesto is an easy and healthy summer sauce that adds incredible flavor to a variety of dishes. Of course, there are the obvious uses for basil pesto, like mixing it in with your favorite pasta dish, or as the base for a pizza, but there’s so much more you can do with it!
- Spread on a sandwich for an elevated lunch
- Thin it down with oil or vinegar and make a basil pesto salad dressing
- Marinate or toss with your favorite grilled or roasted veggies.
- Topping for meat – spread pesto over cooked chicken, salmon, pork tenderloin, and of course on medalions of beef tenderloin.
More Homemade Sauces
The flavors and ingredients of pesto and these homemade condiment recipes are way better than storebought. Once you make your own homemade dressings and sauces, you won’t want anything else.
- Tzatziki Sauce Recipe – a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros and as a raw veggie dip.
- Tartar Sauce Recipe – great with fish and crab cakes
- Horseradish Sauce Recipe – Steakhouse quality horseradish
- Chimichuri Sauce – excellent topping for steak
- Avocado Ranch Dressing – doubles as a dip or dressing
- Caesar Dressing – our go-to creamy caesar
Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts , or walnuts
- 2 garlic cloves, (large)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, (juice of 2 small lemons)
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry the basil leaves.
- Place basil into a food processor, add cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
- Season with more salt to taste if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Made this today following the directions. The lemon flavor overpowered the basil so I added more basil. It helped but lemon was still pretty strong. I love the idea of the freshness lemon can bring to pesto so I’ll try it again and just decrease the amount. Thanks for your recipe!
You’re welcome! It wasn;t overpowering for us but feel free to use less lemon next time if you prefer.
Looking to make this soon but have a question. All other pesto recipes say to add the EVOO in slowly but yours adds it with everything at once. Will this not cause the oil to emulsify?
Hi JB, we haven’t had that issue with this process and recipe. I hope you love it!
My GO TO pesto sauce! It’s delicious, I too use walnuts instead of pricey pine nuts. Thank you, sooo good😋
I’m so glad this is your go-to recipe! Thank you for sharing, Lorraine.
Is 1/4 cup lemon juice accurate compared to other recipes only calling for a tbsp?
Hi Sierra, that’s correct! Be sure to use freshly squeezed juice from 1 large or 2 smaller lemons. Do not use lemon juice concentrate.
Thank you Natasha! Just made this pesto and it tastes amazing. I’m going to freeze it and put it in the freeze dryer’s next batch so I can have it long term.
That’s great! You’ll love having this on hand.
This turned out better than I thought!! Thank you Natasha for all your yummy recipes!
You’re very welcome, Traci!
Made mine substituted pepitas for pine nuts ❣️ Delicious ❣️
How long can I keep pesto in the fridge? Or is it better to freeze it?
We keep a steady supply of this fantastic sauce in the fridge and freezer since it stores really well. This will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer.
Great recipe. I make many of your recipes as your my go to for most of my recipes. Thank you for all your videos and tips and tricks. This is great!! Love it with the lemon vs without. It needs the acid. I added 3 large cloves of garlic and a lil more sea salt and ground black pepper to suit my taste. Otherwise wala!!!
Hi Lynann! Thank you for the feedback. So glad you loved it!
I love this recipe. Make it all the time and keep a stock in my freezer. I use white wine instead of the lemon and it’s excellent.
Sounds amazing, Denise! I’m glad you love this recipe!
I love pesto but my husband is not a fan of parmesan cheese. (or any “stinky” cheese as he calls it). Is it possible to substitute a different cheese?
Hi Denise! I’m not sure that I have another substitute idea for the parmesan cheese. Feel free to experiment with it.
made this basil pesto today. i used walnuts in place of pine nuts. much cheaper. its outstanding.super easy to put together and lots of flavor. Going to make your basil pesto stuffed chicken breasts for dinner.
That sounds amazing, Jim! Thank you for sharing. I hope you love the recipe.
SO good and easy! How long does it store in the freezer? Thank you!
Hi Ashleigh, we keep a steady supply of this fantastic sauce in the fridge and freezer since it stores really well. This will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer.
I made this today as I had lots of sweet basil growing, never liked any of the pestos I’ve tried before and I was going to give this away as a gift, but it’s so nice I’m keeping it. Thank you for changing my mind. I also did it in my Nutribullet which worked a treat.
That’s amazing, Ruth! Thank you for trying my recipe. I’m so glad you love it.
Made this for the second time and it’s absolutely delicious- love the freshness the lemon adds! How long can I keep it in the fridge in a jar? X
Hi Jules! This will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer. 🙂
Made your Pesto recipe today with my frozen lemon juice from our tree and fresh basil from our garden, what a fabulous recipe. Only thing I did differently was using toasted walnuts as I didn’t have pine nuts. Your recipes ROCK!
Thanks a lot! We appreciate your good comments and review.
The lemon juice ruined this pesto. I will not add it next time.
Hi Dawn, did you use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not concentrated one? Feel free to reduce it next time.
Made this today with frozen lemon juice from my tree and fresh basil from my garden, used walnuts as I didn’t have pine nuts, absolutely fabulous! Your recipes Rock!
Awesome! Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback, Corinne.
Absolutely love everything about Natasha’s Kitchen! Every recipe seems amazing and easy to make. I keep saving… need to cook too; can’t just watch and enjoy her terrific presentations and sense of humor..although they charge up my day and make me smile! Thank you..
Aww, thank you for the kind words! I’m so glad you love my recipes.
Natasha, you are truly an inspiration! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try next time I get my hands on some fresh basil. 😋
Hi Corinne! Thank you! So glad that I could be an inspiration! I hope you love the recipe.
What would you suggest in your Pesto recipe to replace nuts?
Would I be able to just omit nuts and still have a good pesto?
( I can’t eat nuts 😔)
Thank you.
Hi J! The nuts actually make up a large portion of this recipe so you might consider replacing them. I have not tested an alternative or omitted them but here is what one of my readers said, “I leave out the nuts and I use half basil and half Italian flat-leaf parsley that I grow myself. Really good! I don’t miss the nuts at all.” I hope that helps!
Overall pretty good, but I found there was a little too much lemon juice.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Bre!
I want to make your recipe as gifts. Does it need to be refrigerated or just sealed tightly. What do you recommend?
Hi Mary, I hope this its helpeful, here is what one of our readers wrote “To freeze, I fill up ice trays with the pesto, let them harden, & then put the individual cubes in a ziploc bag. Works great!!”
Forgot to mention I made it my Nutribullet . Came out super smooth and well blended ❤️
That’s great to know. Thank you for sharing.
I was short on fresh lemon juice so had to only add a bit less than 1/4 cup. Added a little water to thin and only one clove of garlic. OMG! Wanted to eat it with a spoon! Will get to the store to get more lemons to make this with the rest of the basil in my garden!
Thank you!
Thank you for the feedback, Patti! I’m so glad you loved it. 🙂
I did the same as you and agree! Took it to a party and it was a big hit!
This is my first time making pesto. It turned out pretty well. I just have to find additional things to serve with it. 😊 Thanks for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sheila!
Just made this and love the way it came out! The lemon adds a great fresh flavor! Delicious! Qs… What is the serving size for the nutrition facts provided? Was it for the 1.5 cups or a smaller portion? Thanks so much!
Hi Meghan, this recipe makes a total of 1 1/2 cups pesto and serves 8 peple, so the serving size will be one of the 8 servings.
Hi Natasha- first off, LOVE your recipes- thanks for teaching me how to cook!!
Also- I tried this recipe (yum!) but didn’t have pine nuts so I used pistachios. OH MY GOSH- it was life altering. We are going to plant an entire garden of just basil next year to freeze pistachio pesto for year round yum!
That’s wonderful, Annie! I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Thank you for the great review.
Recipe was perfect. I splurged on 1/2 cup of pine nuts ($7) which seems essential in this recipe. Can’t wait to make some pasta now!
Hi Paula! Thank you for the wonderful review, so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. We love it on pasta! 🙂
I made your pesto today with basil from my garden. It came out so good. I was spooning it into my mouth. Tonight I’ll make my hubby a white pizza with your pesto.
That sounds delicious! Enjoy. So glad you loved this recipe.
Delicious! I make your chicken Marsala recipe and it’s my husband’s favorite dish so I thought I’d try your pesto. It didn’t disappoint! I want to start making more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing them.
Love that you’re enjoying the recipes!
1/4 cup lemon juice is really a lot, and I love lemons. I would cut back to juice of 1/2 lemon next time.
I think I’ll do the same. It’s a little tart, but still very good.
Lemon juice. Ahh nope! I add 1 tsp whipped cream cheese when I am blending everything together. Love my pesto on top of Homemade Raviols
I made the Pesto Sauce. It is delicious! Have never used Pesto before in recipes, but we love it. Today, added a bit to Mayo and had it on chicken sandwich. THANK YOU! Love so many of your recipes!
Hi Bonnie, that’s so nice to hear! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience trying this recipe. We’re so glad that you enjoyed it!
Great recipe for fresh homemade style pesto. Perfect taste and textures. The fresh squeezed lemon is the kiss on top.
It’s the best when it’s homemade and I’m so glad you loved it too, Mary Ann!
Too lemony for me. I had to counter with more basil and Parmesan. I have also learned to is a small amount of almond meal in place of pignoli or walnuts.
When I make my pesto I use roasted cashews they give it a kind of sweet addition.
I actually used 3/4 C. Grated Parmesan and it was too much. So I would use maybe 1/2 C if using grated, rather than shredded as indicated in recipe. But otherwise tasty.
Absolutely the most scrumptious thing ever with fresh basil from my garden I plan to add some chicken and angel hair pasta and heat it up . We are always looking for easy beatable meals to make when on our sailboat Yay for another easy scrumptious one! Thanks so much!
You’re very welcome, Cindy! So glad you enjoy this pesto.
The perfect combination of ingredients. However, we added extra salt, pepper, and garlic for our household tastes.
Hi Julie! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing with us! 🙂
I used your recipe but substituted organic raw cashews instead of pine nuts. I also used 4 cloves of fresh garlic from my garden and my garden basil! So delicious It was hard to stop eating it by the spoonful! Thank You. And the lemon is very much needed for freshness and keeps the pesto from darkening as much.
You’re very welcome, Bonny! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for sharing your experiment. 🙂
I used this pesto recipe yesterday for the first time as I grew basil in my garden this year and had an over abundance. I didn’t want to waste it. I loved the recipe, it was easy to make and freeze in ice cube trays. I had it with zoodles for lunch today and it was very tasty. I used fresh squeezed lemon juice in the recipe and didn’t find it was too over powering. When I first tasted the pesto in raw state, thought the basil was a little on the bitter side. When I added it to my zoodles and heated, everything came together. Will definitely keep this recipe for future basil crop. Totally enjoyed. Thank you.
So glad to hear that, Donna! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
08-14-2022 I made this today – my first time to attempt pesto with freshly picked basil from my garden. I’ve used recipes from Natasha’s Kitchen before and once again, could not be happier that I chose her Pesto recipe. It’s wonderful! I made a double batch and am able to retain some for eating fresh and freeze the rest in 12 2.5oz silicon ‘ice cube’ tray for later. Thanks Natasha for sharing your expertise!
You’re so welcome, Colleen! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
I just made this pesto & it is deliciously addictive. How long will it last in the fridge & can I still freeze it with the cheese in?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Sue! This will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer. 🙂
You’re right Natasha, this is delicious & really easy to make!
So glad you enjoy this recipe, Kathy. 🙂
I have a question? please if anyone can answer. my first time making this with my garden basil. Do i toast the pine nuts? will it be adding flavor and alot of recipes dont call for the lemon….what is difference
Hi Francine. I put in my recipe notes a pro-tip: to get the most flavor out of your pine nuts, toast them on a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often until golden and fragrant then cool before using in the recipe. The lemon is a great addition to this pesto’s flavor profile. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Thank you for sharing. I have an abundance of basil and didn’t know what to do with it. I read your recipe and now I can wait to try it.
You’re welcome! I hope you love this recipe.
I use hemp seeds and sometime hemp seeds and walnuts instead of pine nuts which makes this pesto very healthy.. sometime I add sun-dried tomatoes…this pesto is delicious served on fingerling potatoes…
Sounds good, thank you for sharing that with us, Monique!
I harvested a lot of basil and need to use it. How long will this stay fresh in the fridge?
Hi Cathryn, this will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer. 🙂
Are you able to can this? If so would you use a water bath or would it have to be a pressure canner?
Hi Susan, I haven’t tested canning this yet to advise.
I freeze mine in snack bags. Defrost and use at room temperature. I use on chicken paninis and pasta.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Hi. How long can the pesto be kept in the fridge? Sorry if this was already asked!
Hi Deanna. This will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator but longer in the freezer. 🙂
delicious as written and can’t wait to share with my family!
I hope they love it too!
I prepared this today exactly as directed…FANTASTIC! Will delete all other pesto recipes and suggest this to my friends. Thanks for posting Natasha! ❤️
So glad you enjoyed this, Kate! Thank you for the review and for sharing my recipe 🙂
Great recipe with easy-to-follow instructions. I’ll be making pest again soon because my basil is going nuts. Thx for sharing.
You’re welcome! Enjoy 🙂
Love this recipe. I grew my own basil this year and already it has taken over the garden. I made this pesto recipe and it is delicious. I spread some pesto on french bread with bruschetta. It is such a game changer. Love all your recipes.
So glad to hear that, Mary. Thank you for the review.
I lost my pesto recipe, so I was guessing at memory. I decided to check Pinterest and found your recipe. I love it, even better at the one I always used. It is creamy and delicious. The lemon was something I never tried. It just gives it a bit of a twist. I Love it and thank you for sharing.
Yes, it does, I’m glad you didn’t skip the lemon. Thank you for your great review and feedback, Patricia!
Do you toast the walnuts too if you substitute? I’m not familiar with this. Thank you!
Hi Cassie, you may use already toasted walnuts or toast them.
Delicious! Made it todY for mozzarella grilled cheese sandwiches. Amazing! Tha KS for making me look so good.
I’m so glad you love it, Donna! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Made as directed and it was too lemony and watery. Hoping it sets up more in the fridge and that the lemon mellows out a bit.
Hi Milia! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you use freshly squeezed lemon juice or concentrate? I do not recommend using juice from concentrate and in total it should be 1/4cup but you can reduce the amount next time if that is too much.
Cannot go wrong with your recipes! Love this easy to make pesto. I usually freeze the leftover so it doesn’t go bad in ziploc bags. Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoy them, Dunia!
When we open the jar of basil and begin to use, will what’s left in the jar immediately begin to brown similar to an avocado or apple?
Hi Linda, yes this does start to go brown the longer it sits but keeps its color better if you freeze it.
I have a question, I want to freeze this. Do you use less oil when freezing? And then add it back in when you use it?
Hi Melanie, we freeze it with all the original ingredients without any issues. I hope that helps!
i think i did something wrong. mine did NOT turn out so green and i packed it tight.
Hi Maggie, did you make sure to use fresh basil leaves? Also, using a different variety might affect the color and also how long it sits in the refrigerator. Lastly, make sure not to try cooking the sauce since heating will cause the green to dull.
Can you substitute Romano cheese for the Parmesan. I like the flavor better. This is first year I am growing my own basil.
Thank you!
Hi Denise, I haven’t tried that but one of our readers did and shared this “So good! I used Romano cheese cause it’s all I had, but my mom uses feta as it’s yummy too.” I hope that helps!
I want to make this when my family and I go on vacation but I don’t want to bring my food processor, can I use an immersion blender and get the same results?
Hi Hope! I think it will work just fine. The smaller blades may result in more of a “fine” paste.
Made this tonight and sooooo good. I am not a pesto person, probably because I’ve only had the jarred stuff. This has changed my mind. Definitely keeping this recipe and making again.
So glad to hear that, Theresa! I’m happy you found this recipce.
What is a substitute for:
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese In the Basil Pesto Recipe?
And not another cheese.
Thanks!
Hi Carole, I’m not sure that I have another substitute idea if not cheese. Feel free to experiment with it.
Am I allowed to skip the pine nuts? Because I have tree nut allergies
Hi Edward, I saw this comment shared by someone else “I leave out the nuts and I use half basil and half italian flat leaf parsley that I grow myself. Really good! I don’t miss the nuts at all.” I hope that helps!
I use sesame seeds in place of pine nuts and it tastes awesome.
Do you remove the skin of walnuts before adding them for the sauce?
Hi Yan, we did not remove that, no. We shelled or purchased shelled walnuts.
I tried the recipe and it was delicious… thx awesome recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Paromita!
This is a good recipe just as written. Great way to use up most of the garden basil prior to end of season frost. Freeze in ice cube trays, then store in bags / containers in freezer to use during cold months.
Hi Rusty! Yes, this freezes really well! I’m glad you gave this a try!
Thank you for posting this comment. I didn’t want to make the recipe unless I could store what I didn’t use.
I leave out the nuts and I use half basil and half italian flat leaf parsley that I grow myself. Really good! I don’t miss the nuts at all.
Hello Jeannine, glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your review.
Made this pesto this morning I used my blender and I love it!!
Yum! I’m so glad you loved it, Michelle!
Question…do you use fresh parm that you shred, or parm that was you buy in the plastic containers? I think that they measure differently.
Hi Karen, we used shredded for this recipe, but I bet freshly shredded will be equally if not more delicious.
I use the Joy of Cooking recipe, which is identical except for the lemon juice. I’ll give this one a try next time. What do you feel freah lemon 🍋 juice adds?
Sounds good, you can give that a try! Please let us know how you liked it.
I tried your pesto the best one I have tasted yet I used walnuts instead and liked the lemon juice better flavor
Thank you for your awesome recipes
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Theresa!
Thx u for this recipe was looking for a easy pesto recipe
You’re welcome! I hope you love it!
My Peruvian grandfather used to make his basil pesto sauce using basil, olive oil, garlic, cream cheese, salt & pepper all in a blender. Served it over hot pasta. Creamy yumminess! No nuts, no parmesan cheese. He used my grandmother’s Chilean recipe.
Just thought you might like to know another version of this wonderful sauce.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! That sounds delicious!
That sounds delicious do you mind sharing the measurements for those ingredients?
That sounds so good would you mind sharing the measurement of ingredients from your grandfathers recipe?
If I wanted to make your basil pesto sauce how can I make a pesto mayonnaise? There was a restaurant in downtown Detroit at Eastern Market that made the best sandwiches with pesto Mayo on them. They closed because of the pandemic. And I have never tasted another sandwich that ever had pesto Mayo on it. It was the best sandwich ever. Do you have any ideas on how to make a pesto Mayo?
Hi Janet, no idea yet but thanks for the recipe suggestion. I’ll try to add that to our list and hopefully I can try that soon!
I would just mix in your pesto in with Mayo.
That is my thinking exactly!
Yummy! We love pesto sauce and we love finding new ways to put it on recipes! Excited to make this and have it on hand!
Hope it becomes your new favorite, Beth!
I love that you can make your own pesto right at home! It adds so much brightness to a meal.
So true, it is also so much better than store-bought! Thanks for your good feedback and review, Katie.
This is, without a doubt, my all time favorite pizza “sauce”! I LOVE the fresh basil and pine nuts in here! It pairs so perfectly with chicken, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and zucchini! Perfect proportions. Easy recipe!
Yum! That is such a great idea for pizza.
Just made pesto with your recipe. I love it…off to dollar store for ice cube trays to freeze..☮️
Great idea, Jeanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha. I used to try other pesto sauce recipies which don’t usually have lime juice in it. I was not sure about lime juice but I tried your recipies yesterday with lime juice and it turned to perfectly good, especially with pasta. Thank you for the best pesto recipe. Some people may want to roast the garlic to add a bit more of flavour and help to digest better. Cheers.
Hi Yen, thanks for sharing your experience making and trying this recipe. I’m glad you tried it with lime juice and it’s good to know that you liked it!
I agree that this is the best pesto I have made! Used toasted walnuts. I cut the lemon amount in half to avoid a lemony taste. Really a wonderful recipe! Thank you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Linda!
Love the addition of lemon!
Hi, do we need to toast the pinenuts first?
Hi Kay, You sure can! One of our readers mentioned they loved it that much more after toasting the nuts. I hope that helps.
Love Love the lemon addition! So good.
Isn’t it the best! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I love everything you share! Natasha’s Kitchen is my go-to place for the best recipes for darn near everything! Please keep doing what you do!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Tonya. I’m all smiles
By far the best pesto recipe I’ve tried. Made it with toasted walnuts as that was readily available. Really easy to make! Thanks!
Sounds awesome! Thank you so much, I’m so happy with your feedback.
My first pesto making experience & soooo good.
Yay, perfect! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try, Julie.
So good! I used Romano cheese cause it’s all I had, but my mom uses feta as it’s yummy too. Thanks Natasha 🇨🇦👍
You’re welcome! Glad you loved the recipe, Erika.
I can’t think of a good enough word to use to for this. This was my first go at making and trying pesto. Easy, simple ingredients and tastes so good.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Natasha,
This was my first time making pesto and it came out perfect. I immediately added it to my zoodles. Thanks for a great recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Stephanie!
Unfortunately this was too acidic for me. The lemon juice flavor was way too strong and I can’t even taste the basil. I’m going to stick to the tried and true recipe from the Joy of cooking without lemon juice.
Hi MB, my best suggestion would be to make sure you use fresh lemon juice and not concentrate.
I’ve made several basil pesto recipes and this is by far my favorite, I’ve made it three times! I only add a pinch of salt rather than the recommended amount. I found it too salty the way it’s written. Otherwise I don’t change a thing and it’s perfect!
That’s so great, Leah! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I have made this basil recipe several times and it is delicious. I have used pine nuts and almonds and they both taste just as good. I do toast them first to help release all the oils. I have a basil bush so I make a lot and put the extra sauce inside a plastic container with a lid and put it inside a freezer bag. This keeps the color and it tastes just as good as when I first made it. I do add olive oil to the top of the basil to keep it from drying out and getting freezer burn.
Thank you for sharing your great feedback with us and for giving us some tips! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed it.
Easy and delicious. I made this twice with my freshly grown Basel and it came out great. I used some to mix with light mayo for a delicious dressing. It got rave reviews. Used the rest in various recipes. You can’t fail with this recipe. Thanks.
Hello Elaine, thank you so much for sharing your good experience with this recipe. I appreciate your awesome comments and feedback!
Best pesto by far! I used cashews as that what was on hand. Made it twice this summer, sooo good!
That’s just awesome Stephanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve tied at least 5 other recipes and this one is the best! Thank you for sharing it with us!!
Wow! I’m so happy you found a favorite on our site, Brittany! That’s so great!
I LOVE this recipe! It’s SO much lighter Than the recipe a I’ve always used! I
The taste is great, the color beautiful, and it freezes well without turning brown!! It will definitely be my go-to pesto forever!
That is so awesome! Thank you for your excellent feedback, we appreciate you sharing it with us!
When I made this I received so many compliments. Went great on chicken caprese sandwiches instead of basil leaves. Also made a great vinegarette.
That is so good to know. Thanks for sharing that with you, Caryn!
So, so goooood!! Thank you Natasha!!!
You are so welcome! Thanks for giving this recipe a try.
Hi Natasha, Thank you for this awesome recipe. I made mine and it taste really good. I use my freshly harvest basil from my veranda😋😊
You’re so welcome, Noemi. I am so glad you loved this recipe!
This is my second batch of pesto! The BEST! Huge hit will all folks! Thanks again Natasha for another great recipe!
I am so glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing your comments with us.
Nice bright pesto. Maybe a touch too lemony for my tastes. Will reduce next time.
Thanks for your feedback and for giving this recipe a try!
First time making pesto and I picked the best recipe! So easy and delicious. We spread it on French bread then topped it with mozzarella and tomatoes. Making a pasta salad with it too. Thanks for sharing. Delicious!
So wonderful to hear that! I’m so glad you loved the pesto.
How long can you store the Pesto?
We’ve always eaten it within a couple of days, but I probably wouldn’t leave it longer than 5-7 days in the fridge. It also depends on how fresh your basil is, if it was already kind of wilting when you used it, it won’t last long.
Made this for a garden pesto pasta with veggies from my local farmers market and my friend and I loved it!
I just went to the store to get ingredients to make more—however sadly my grocery store was all out of fresh basil
I purchased a tube of basil paste instead. Have you ever used basil paste to make your pesto? If so, how much do I use to substitute?
Hello Jordyn, I haven’t really tried using basil paste yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please let us know how it goes.
Hi Natasha,
Your recipes are fascinating. I just want to ask if there is a substitute i can use for Parmesan cheese ?? its very expensive for us.. I buy the Mozerella because we love our pizza but wondering if we could substitute the Parmesan?..
Hi, mozzarella probably wouldn’t blend properly into pesto since it is such a soft cheese. You could replace parmesan with extra nuts but you would have to add a little salt to taste since parmesan does add saltiness to the pesto.
I know that it is so amazing taste I just curious can be in freezer with ice cube ? Thanks have a nice day !
I’ve never tried freezing pesto so I’m not sure. If you test it, let me know how it goes. The color might not be as vibrant after freezing.
I grow my own basil and make one or two large batches of pesto every summer. Freeze it in ice cube trays or mini-muffin pans. After a night in the freezer, I pop it out of the ice trays and/or muffin pans, transfer it to a zip lock bag, and love it all winter! It’s perfect for freezing!
Sounds awesome!
Hi Jeanne, do you add the cheese before you freeze or leave that out until you use it from the freezer? I have seen lots of debate whether, or not, to add cheese before freezing.
Hi Natasha! Made this pesto tonight and it was SO GOOD. I am nut-free due to allergies, and so did not use any pine or alternative nuts. I did substitute 4 saltine crackers (believe it or not) to give some “grit” to the texture. It worked out perfectly! Thank you!
I’m so glad that worked out! Thank you for sharing that with me!
Wow tried this pesto tonight
Unbelievable my husband ate all the pasta with pesto 3x
Awesome, thanks
Wow, that is great! Thanks for sharing your good feedback with us.
Great recipe!! I think the lemon juice adds such a brightness to the flavor! This is a keeper!
Thank you for that wonderful feedback!
Amazing, I haven’t been able to eat store bought pesto so this was a pleasure to eat and so fresh tasting.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Bonnie. I appreciate the good review!
Came out perfect 👍
Thank you Natasha.
I’m so glad you loved the pesto. Thanks for your great review. I’d love to hear how you served it.
Awesome recipe. I did add extra basil, just because I didn’t want to waste the basil. I also used slivered blanched almonds because it’s the only nuts I had at home. I left one container in the fridge and froze the rest. I have bought the one from Costco and froze it. Keeps well. This recipe tastes as good if not better than Costco’s. Thanks for the recipe.
Hello Barb, you’re so welcome! Thank you for your wonderful feedback and for sharing your experience making this recipe.
What’s your opinion of freezing the pesto then using it? I have a basil bush I need to use up and hate to waste. Was hoping it worked perfect so we could save more instead of wasting!
Hi Abbey, I hope this its helpeful, here is what one of our readers wrote “To freeze, I fill up ice trays with the pesto, let them harden, & then put the individual cubes in a ziploc bag. Works great!!”
Delicious!
Thank you for the good review!
Hi Natasha
Do you toast the pinenuts in your recipe?
You sure can! One of our readers mentioned they loved it that much more after toasting the nuts. I hope that helps.
I tried this recipe and didn’t change a thing..like another commenter, mine turned out incredibly bitter. I kept tasting to try to figure out why, and I think its the lemon juice.. Whatever it is, its really unpalatable.
Hi Lauren, did you taste any of the individual ingredients to see if you can identify a culprit? Some parmesan cheeses taste weird to me (they can have an old-bitterness to them), or maybe you used a different variety of basil that was a bitter batch? Lemon juice shouldn’t cause bitterness unless you include the white pith in the recipe (make sure it’s just the juice). Lastly, did you taste the pine nuts to see if those may have been bitter? I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha, I’m going to try this recipe. Is there any alternative to parmesan cheese or can I skip adding it. Please help.
Hi, a Parmigiano-Reggiano and/or pecorino cheese would also work or a blend of all of them. The texture wouldn’t be quite right without the cheese though.
Hi Natasha, how many grams should be the basil? It is a little difficult to measure it with cups. Can I freeze the pesto?
Hi Maria, we have it listed in the recipe as “48 g fresh basil leaves tightly packed” If you click “Jump to recipe” at the top of the post it will take you to our printable recipe where you have the option to view the ingredients in US Customary or Metric measurements. I hope that helps.
Thank you very much I hadn’t notice it. I just made it and it was super.
Excellent recipe. I have never used lemon juice in pesto before and it really added a wonderful subtle flavor. I used walnuts, since that s what I had on hand, and I quadrupled the amount of nuts to boost the protein. It was delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi,
We cannot take pine nuts due to food allergies what can be substituted or removed to still achieve the same basil pesto?
Would we still need lemon juice?
Thanks,
Darren
Hi Darren, Pine nuts is the main ingredient in Pesto but another nut may work. Here’s what one of our readers wrote. “Just made this, but substituted pecans for pine nuts, as that’s what I had on hand. It’s my first time making Pesto, so I don’t know what your recipe, Natasha, tastes like, but mine turned out delicious. All ingredients the same except for the nut substitution. I think that one could probably use any kind of nut in this. The flavour mostly comes from the basil, garlic, lemon, etc. I have loved every one of your recipes that I have tried. Keep it up!” I hope that helps.
My recipe has same ingred…just different amounts. Over the years I learned lemon juice is key, keeps it nice and green. I do one batch with pine nuts, second batch almonds. If making big pasta dish I use homemade and then add a pkg of Knorr’s dry pesto. They blend well together. Very good recipe, Thanks.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Pam!
Just made this, but substituted pecans for pine nuts, as that’s what I had on hand. It’s my first time making Pesto, so I don’t know what your recipe, Natasha, tastes like, but mine turned out delicious. All ingredients the same except for the nut substitution. I think that one could probably use any kind of nut in this. The flavour mostly comes from the basil, garlic, lemon, etc. I have loved every one of your recipes that I have tried. Keep it up!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing that with us & for the wonderful review.
I used the Pesto tonight on a side dish of elbow macaroni. It was so good!!!! I’m going to make your Chicken Pesto Roll-ups for dinner tomorrow.
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
My substitute for (expensive) pine nuts is Soy Beans. Get dry soy at an asian store. They are very cheap. Cook in the crock pot on low overnight in lightly salted water.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Rich!
I make this but take out the cheese and add spinach and kale to make it healthier. Still tastes amazing!
Thank you for sharing that with me, Ana! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I freeze pesto in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, I pop the cubes out of the tray and store in a large zip-loc bag. Works great and avoids waste of all those little zip-loc baggies!
Thank you so much for sharing that Laura!
I gave your recipe 5 stars without trying because its the same recipe I’ve been using for years! I have an additional trick for preserving: I put my pesto in small jam mason jars and cover the top with about 1/4″ olive oil and store in the freezer for winter or, during the holidays I take it out and unthaw and give it for gifts to guests. The olive oil seals the top and prevents the pesto from turning dark and spoiling. I put a big spoonful into my spaghetti sauce as well as all the other ideas listed by others. One tip for freezing is to leave about an inch at the top of the jar so as the pesto expands in the freezer it doesn’t crack your jar. Otherwise, mine lasts for months in the refrigerator just as long as I always replace the olive oil cover each time I use it.
I love that idea of adding oil! A small amount of oil pools at the top with refrigeration but adding more would make it keep longer. Brilliant and thanks for the tip!
Linda, do you include the cheese before freezing or when you add it to your dish, after freezing?
Hi Lisa, we freeze it with all the original ingredients without any issues. I hope that is helpful!
Linda, did you add the cheese before freezing or when you used it for a dish after freezing?
This looks amazing! But wondering if you can substitute for, or leave out the cheese?
Hi Victoria, I think you could still make a great pesto without the cheese, just be sure to add salt to taste since parmesan does contribute to the salty flavor of pesto. Taking out the cheese would make this a whole 30, Keto and dairy free pesto.
This was hands down the best pesto ever.
I’m so happy you enjoyed tht Alli!
I love pesto but I never seem to buy it. So glad that I can make it for myself now! So delicious.
I hope you love this recipe, Julie!
Can I freeze the pesto? And if so, how long will it retain the taste? I’m thinking of making it for Christmas gifts. Thank yiu
Hi Donna, I hope this its helpeful, here is what one of our readers wrote “To freeze, I fill up ice trays with the pesto, let them harden, & then put the individual cubes in a ziploc bag. Works great!!”
This was really amazing! And I loved that it is so easy to make!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is such a great way to add so much flavor to sandwiches! Loved it!
I’m so happy you enjoeyd that, Jen!
My first attempt at making my own pesto and I am so pleased with how this recipe turned out. I used a blender and found that I needed to add a little extra olive oil to get it to blend properly.
Thanks for the recipe
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Alicia!
Turned out perfect. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! I planted some cinnamon basil in my garden this year and it’s growing like crazy. Unfortunately my traditional Italian basil is not doing so well. I’m wondering if you (or anyone else reading this) has ever tried pesto with this variety. I’m all for experimenting, but the ingredients are kind of expensive, so would rather get some feedback. Thanks so much…your recipes are consistently amazing!
Hi Amy, I haven’t tested with cinnamon basil but I did come across a couple of recipes from a quick google search. You might taste it before adding lemon juice and then stir lemon juice into a small batch to see if the flavors are complimentary. If you test it out with cinnamon basil, please let me know how it goes. Someone else may have the same question.
Looks great!
Thank you, Kamal!
Hi Natasha,
Is it okay to omit to the nuts?
The nuts actually make up a large portion of this recipe so you might consider replacing them. I have heard of people making pesto with seeds. You might research nut free pesto on Google to get more ideas.
I have a question about the leaves. I looked at your recipe and on the picture with your basil leaves, one had a hole in it. Is it ok to use ones that are not ‘perfect’. I tried to look for information online to see which ones i should discard. So, I picked through a whole bunch and only picked the healthy ones and threw out the ones with any marks on them or holes or ‘bitten’ ones. Would love to know your experience with this. Thank you for your help.
Hi Flora, as long as the basil doesn’t look wilted or spoiled, a good rinse should do the trick 🙂 Not all of the leaves have to be perfect since they are blended 🙂
Thank you for you response, however, still a little confused about what I do with brown spotted or marked ones. They so not look spoiled other than the marks… do I cut those parts out and still could use the leaves. For the bug bitten ones I was told I could use them…just wondering..because I had so many like that this year…
You can add them to the pesto and just blend everything together. I wouldn’t discard unless you have an abundance or excess.
Thank you:) will try it out with your recipe
My pleasure! Please let me know how it turns out!
I LOVE pesto!!!! It tastes so good on hamburgers, pasta and sandwiches. I wonder how well the pesto can keep up in the freezer? 🙂
I’ve never tried freezing pesto so I’m not sure. If you test it, let me know how it goes. The color might not be as vibrant after freezing.
Pesto freezes really well. I make my own or usually buy the Costco one (good quality and great value) and divide it up into sandwich bags in portions. 3-5 TBSP each bag or you decide!
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Guy I also made my pesto sauce and freeze it. but I made it without the cheese. Do you made it with cheese and freeze it?
hi, i was wondering if theres anything i can use instead of basil leaves? i cant find fresh ones anywhere 🙁
Traditionally pesto is made with basil, but you can substitute for spinach although the flavor would change quite a bit. You might search online for a spinach pesto recipes.
Trader Joe sells them.
how long can this pesto sit in the fridge for before it goes bad?
We’ve always eaten it within a couple days, but I probably wouldn’t leave it longer than 5-7 days in the fridge. It also depends on how fresh your basil is; if it was already kind of wilting when you used it, it won’t last long.
Hello. Quick question. Which salad spinner brand do you have? And also what size – small or large?
The one photographed here is the OXO large salad spinner. The one I currently use is the Dexas salad spinner. Both are very good!
This year my mom got excited and planted a lot, in fact a little too much basil so when I show her this recipe she will be so happy that we can put that basil to good use. I’m excited to make this cause I love this stuff, even as a dip.
Let me know hot it turns out :).
This stuff is amazing! We made pasta with it and later had it with our sandwiches (instead of mayo). I made a lot a froze about half of it. You’re awesome, Natasha!
Thank you, I’m glad you like it :).
Best recipe I’ve used for pesto
I grill cauliflower steaks and spread this pesto on each side
Aaaaaamazing!
That sounds like the best combination! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Pat!
try toasting the pine nuts … it’s even more yummier!!!
ooh, I think I will 🙂 Thanks Irina!
looks very delish. thank you
That pesto looks delicious! Thanks for sharing
I agree that pesto can do so much to add flavour to just about anything. I’ve added my pesto to regular tomato sauce, to my homemade vegetable soup, with white wine when cooking mussels, in a thin layer on pizza dough before any other sauces or toppings. I’ve also made pesto with spinach when basil is not plentiful in my area. When I freeze it, I put a plop of it in a small sandwich bag, flatten the bag before I close the ziploc. I stack several flat bags like this in the freezer and take out one when I need it. Or open the bag and break off a bit of the flat pesto when I need just a bit. Thanks for the recipe, I’d better get some basil asap.
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas!
To freeze, I fill up ice trays with the pesto, let them harden, & then put the individual cubes in a ziploc bag. Works great!!
Thanks for sharing that with us Jennifer!
Hi.Natasha I like pesto but added parsley leaves that tastes better.Hello from Poland.
Thank you for sharing that with me. I love that idea! It reminds me of chimichurri sauce.
Looks Yummy.
Hi Deepa – thank you! I was just checking out your site. What recipe would you recommend for someone who has zero experience with Indian food?