Classic Basil Pesto Recipe
Basil Pesto is such a versatile sauce. It’s fantastic tossed with any pasta or used as a spread on sandwiches. It’s the secret ingredient in Chicken Pesto Pasta or these Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups.
Homemade pesto is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make and fresh tastes so much better than storebought. We keep a steady supply of this fantastic sauce in the fridge and freezer since it stores really well.
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Basil Pesto Recipe
Try this homemade basil pesto recipe, you’ll never want the store-bought stuff again! Freshly made sauce is so vibrant in color and flavor. The lemon juice here keeps the color beautiful and adds fresh flavor without needing too much salt.
All you need is a handful of simple ingredients, a food processor, and a few minutes of spare time to get the best pesto sauce you’ve ever had!
What Is Pesto Sauce?
I’m sure you’ve seen pesto placed in the menus of any Italian restaurant or trendy pizza shop you’ve been to, but what really is it? 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 deriving from an Italian verb “pestare” which means “to crush”. It was originally made using a Mortar and Pestle.
Ingredients for Basil Pesto:
Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are things you probably already have on hand. Just pick up some fresh basil leaves the day you want to make the sauce.
- Fresh basil leaves
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pine nuts (or walnuts)
- Garlic Cloves
- Lemon juice
- Salt & Pepper
Can I substitute the 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.
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.
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. For a sweeter pesto use the sweet basil leaves. For a slight spicy kick, try the Thai, and if you like a little hint of lemon, definitely try lemon basil.
Most grocery stores will only sell one type of basil, so if you want to try the less common types, check your local farmers market or specialty produce shop.
How to Make Basil Pesto Recipe:
1. Gently rinse fresh basil leaves and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
2. 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 a longer shelf life.
What Does Basil Pesto Go 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 to 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 veggies instead of the typical oil and parmesan
- Use as a sauce topping for meat: chicken, salmon, pork tenderloin, and of course beef steaks.
More Homemade Sauce and Dressing Recipes
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, it will spoil you forever.
- 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 – even better than store-bought tartar sauce and super simple to make
- Horseradish Sauce Recipe – the best Steakhouse quality horseradish we’ve tried
- Avocado Ranch Dressing – You will flip over this twist on the traditional ranch dressing and it doubles as a dip
- Caesar Dressing – I love using this amazing recipe as both a dressing and a marinade for chicken
Basil Pesto Recipe
Pesto Sauce is so easy to make and homemade pesto tastes way better than storebought. This Basil Pesto recipe is fantastic with pasta or on sandwiches.
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
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Wash and dry the basil leaves.
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Place basil into a food processor, add cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
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Season with more salt to taste if desired.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
natashaskitchen
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
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!
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 :).
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!
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?