Homemade Pesto Recipe
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This homemade pesto comes together in minutes and is one of the easiest ways to make the most of summer basil. Toss it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it over grilled meats and vegetables, or swirl it into soups.
Pesto, or pesto alla Genovese, is a vibrant, garlicky green sauce from Genoa, Italy. Made with fresh basil, nuts, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and olive oil, it’s one of the easiest and most versatile sauces you can make at home. While pesto is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, a food processor makes quick work of it.
This homemade pesto recipe uses walnuts instead of the traditional pine nuts, making it more affordable without sacrificing flavor. Once everything is blended together, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. I make a batch whenever basil is overflowing in the garden, and since it freezes beautifully, I always stash a few containers away for quick meals later on.
“Simply, my favorite pesto recipe!”
What You’ll Need To Make Pesto Sauce
- Walnuts: Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but I almost always reach for walnuts. They’re easier to find, much less expensive, and have a rich, buttery flavor that works beautifully.
Almonds, pecans, and pistachios work well too. Pro tip: Toast the nuts in the oven or a dry skillet for a few minutes to deepen their flavor. - Garlic Cloves: Bring bold, punchy flavor that is key to the flavor of pesto.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Use vibrant, fragrant leaves with no dark spots. Be sure to wash and dry them thoroughly—wet basil can dilute the pesto and dull the flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Binds everything together and adds smooth, fruity richness. Use one you enjoy the flavor of since it’s a major component of the sauce.
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds salty, nutty flavor. Always use authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy—look for the name stamped on the rind or clearly labeled on pre-grated packages. Avoid shelf-stable grated cheese or anything labeled “Parmesan” or “Parmesan cheese.”
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pulse the walnuts and garlic first, then add the basil and seasonings. As you slowly drizzle in the olive oil, the pesto will come together into a smooth, vibrant green sauce. Taking your time with the oil helps it emulsify for the best texture.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, a blender works too, though you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times to keep everything moving.
Add the cheese and blend just until incorporated. It’ll thicken the pesto slightly and give it a rich, creamy texture.
How To Store & Freeze Pesto
Pesto keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week. To help prevent browning, smooth the surface and pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top before refrigerating (this seals out the air and prevents the sauce from oxidizing).
For longer storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag so you can thaw exactly as much as you need.
Best Ways to Use Homemade Pesto
Homemade pesto is far more versatile than just pasta. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- Toss it with homemade pasta to make pesto pasta
- Make zucchini noodles
- Spoon over grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or steak
- Spread on focaccia, sandwiches and smash burgers
- Drizzle over roasted vegetables
- Stir into minestrone or vegetable soup
- Spread on pizza instead of tomato sauce
- Swirl into scrambled eggs or omelettes
- Mix into mayonnaise for sandwiches
- Spoon onto burrata with fresh tomatoes
- Drizzle over baked potatoes
Video Tutorial
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Homemade Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted if desired (see note)
- 2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- Place the walnuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until coarsely chopped, about 10 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper and process until mixture resembles a paste, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly blended. Add the Parmesan and process a minute more. Use pesto immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or air-tight plastic container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil (this seals out the air and prevents the pesto from oxidizing, which would turn it an unappetizing brown color). It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Notes
- Toasting the walnuts isn't essential, but it brings out their flavor. To toast them, preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake, checking frequently, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
- Freezing Instructions: Pesto can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months. You can also divide your prepared pesto into the compartments of an ice cube tray and freeze. Once it’s frozen, remove the pesto cubes from the tray and put in a sealable plastic bag or an airtight container. You can add the defrosted pesto cubes to soups, pasta dishes, eggs, sandwiches, and potatoes.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Do you think you could use this pesto sauce recipe over pasta?
Definitely!
Hi Jen – your recipes are incredible! One question on this, if I wanted to make a “creamy pesto” and add some half and half, would that work here?
Hi Haley, I haven’t tried this before, but you could try replacing half the oil with 1/2 & 1/2. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
You can also freeze it… I have and it lasts for at least a year.
How much pasta will this recipe dress?
Good question Sally– maybe about 1 1/2 pounds of pasta (but it depends upon how “pesto-y” you want it). I’d suggest starting with a pound as any leftovers are also delicious on roasted veggies and potatoes, mixed into soup, or just spread on crackers.
What type of walnut? Black oe English??
Thank you.
English walnuts will work best here. Enjoy!
Made this last week and it was wonderful! I unfortunately cannot remember how much garlic I put in it and the bulbs that I have now have what I would describe as “huge” cloves. How much would you say a “large” garlic clove coarsely chopped is in teaspoons?
Hi Jan, 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic is the equivalent of about 2 average-sized cloves, so I’d just use your judgment based on how strong a garlic flavor you like.
Once again my pesto came out incredibly bitter. Inedibly so. What have I done wrong? Followed precisely. Any ideas?
Hi Dawn, This definitely shouldn’t taste bitter! Could the cheese have been bad, by any chance? Also, you used walnuts (and not pine nuts)?
Mine was also a bit bitter, I’m thinking the basil wasnt as fresh as possible.
Hi,
This is a classic recipe; I came looking for ratios. I ended up making a 20X recipe —- it freezes well! I make a couple additions to this pesto. In the basic amounts there, I would use juice from a 1/2 lemon. This helps emulsify the pesto, and like salad dressings, emulsification is a good thing. Also, I use additional pepper — in this batch, I used 1/3 black (Tellicherry) pepper, 1/3 pink, and 1/3 cubeb berries. If you don’t know what cubeb berries (pepper) are, look it up and get some! You and your guests will appreciate it!
Lovely recipe! The blender was on the fritz so I had to do all the chopping by hand but I frankly like walnuts more than pine nuts so this recipe was perfect for me
I just made this for the first time ever and WOW! Super easy and soooo delish! I actually don’t have a good processor, so I made it in my Bullet and it came out great! I added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice, since the bullet really emulsified it, it seemed to need more liquid. Delish! Thank you for posting this recipe!!