Easy Homemade Pesto
by Chungah
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Say goodbye to store-bought pesto! This homemade version is so easy, so fresh, and so flavorful using only 5 ingredients (and 5 minutes prep).
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Why you’ll love this easy homemade pesto recipe
- Vibrant and so fresh. Say goodbye to store-bought pesto! We’re talking unbeatable freshness with freshly blended basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan and olive oil.
- Requires zero cooking. No need to turn on a stovetop or oven here. With the help of a food processor, simply pulse and blend a handful of fresh ingredients to create a ready-to-use sauce to elevate any dish. The best part? You can make it as runny or chunky as you’d like.
- Great way to repurpose leftover or extra basil. We have zero waste here! Use up that leftover basil before it goes bad.
- Flexible and versatile. Homemade pesto is incredibly flexible, versatile and forgiving. Swap out the basil leaves for different herbs or use almonds or walnuts in place of the pine nuts. Pesto also works beautifully not just with pasta but for sandwiches, pizzas and roasted vegetables.
- Freezer-friendly. Pesto freezes so well! And having some saved up in your backpocket is always a life saver for those busy weeknights. All you have to do is cook up some pasta, stir in the pesto (no thawing required) and sprinkle on some freshly grated Parmesan. Done and done.
What is pesto?
Pesto is a fresh Italian sauce typically made with 5 ingredients – basil, garlic, nuts (traditionally pine nuts), Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. Pesto is incredibly versatile and is commonly stirred in hot pasta or frequently used on sandwiches and pizza, or toppings for soups, salads, chicken, fish or vegetables.
Pesto variations
Nuts
Swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds or pecans. Or omit the nuts entirely for allergies.
Basil
Replace the basil with cilantro, kale, mint, spinach, parsley or even arugula.
How to make homemade pesto
- Pulse. Pulse the basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in a food processor, seasoning to taste. The consistency should be similar to wet sand.
- Emulsify. Slowly add the olive oil with the motor running until smooth and glossy.
- Store. Season as needed and store in the fridge in an airtight container for 1 week or freezer in silicone ice cube trays for 6 months.
How to store and freeze homemade pesto
Airtight container
Pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week, adding a thin layer of olive oil on top and covering with plastic wrap.
Ice cube tray
Portion the pesto into silicone ice cube trays, adding a tiny drizzle of olive oil on top to prevent the pesto from turning brown. Cover and freeze until solid; transfer to an airtight, resealable freezer bag up to 6 months. One standard ice cube is about 1-2 tablespoons pesto, the perfect portion for single meals.
Freezer bag
Portion the pesto into plastic freezer bags, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Label, date and freeze up to 6 months.
More favorited pesto recipes
- Chicken Pesto Kabobs
- Chicken Pesto Pizza
- Creamy Pesto Shells
- Pesto Garlic Knots
- Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Tools For This Recipe
Food processor
Easy Homemade Pesto: Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh basil is traditionally used for pesto but other greens can be used such as cilantro, kale, mint, spinach, parsley or arugula.
Pesto typically uses pine nuts, which can be very expensive. You can swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds.
Use a hard, aged Italian cheese such as Parmesan or Pecorino. Asiago is also a solid option.
Yes! You can make pesto with a blender or mortar and pestle.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week.
Unfortunately no, homemade pesto cannot be canned. Always refrigerate or freeze pesto for long term storage.
No, pesto is generally not meant to be cooked. Pesto is designed to be a no-cook sauce or fresh garnish, spread or drizzle.
Pesto can quickly turn brown due to oxidation. To keep the pesto vibrant green, add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto when storing.
Easy Homemade Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze in ice cube trays up to 6 months.
Equipment
Notes
- Always use fresh ingredients. Skip the jarred garlic (or garlic paste) and use freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino for maximum flavor (and the vibrant green color of pesto).
- Dry the basil. Clean and dry the basil leaves thoroughly. Excess moisture will dilute the flavor of the pesto.
- Toast the pine nuts. For a richer flavor, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes.
- Make it budget-friendly. Pine nuts can be pricey. Swap out the pine nuts for more affordable nuts such as walnuts, almonds or even sunflower seeds.
- Use EVOO. Because pesto is a no-cook sauce, it is best to use a mild, high quality extra virgin olive oil. The EVOO is a key ingredient here, serving as an emulsifier to bind all the ingredients together.
- Slowly stream the olive oil. This is the secret to creating that thick, glossy, creamy pesto sauce, and will prevent the mixture from separating into a greasy sauce.
- Keep it green. Pesto can brown very quickly due to oxidation. Add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto, covering with plastic wrap, when storing.
- Freeze in ice cube trays. Homemade pesto can keep in the freezer for up to 6 months! Freeze the leftover pesto in silicone ice cube trays with a small amount of olive oil on top (to prevent oxidation), transferring them to an airtight, resealable freezer bag once frozen solid. Toss the cubes (no thawing required) directly into hot drained pasta, soup (such as minestrone), or onto warm roasted vegetables.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I make pesto sauce without using parmesan cheese?
I make mine using noosh because my daughter has a dairy allergy. It’s not quite the same but definitely adds some umami taste. Then my husband and I top our dish with the Parmesan so we can get the full flavor. She loves it tho and doesn’t know any difference! Use noosh 1:1 for Parmesan. Good luck!!
I’m vegan I used on hand vegan cheddar cheese and it was fine any cheese would be good
Can you freeze this recipe?
I love freezing pesto. I use a silicone icecube tray then pop them out into a container for the freezer. It makes it super easy to toss in with hot pasta.
Hey! Love this recipe and have made it several times now. Q: does it really only last one week?? I’ve had mine over a month now and it’s still good. Right?
Excellent and so easy
My go to recipe for pesto..I plant a lot of basil so make pesto and freeze it..only difference in recipe is I use pistachio nuts instead of pine nuts..I think they give it more flavor and are a heck of a lot cheaper lol..and I add a squeeze of lemon juice for some freshness..excellent recipe..thank you..
Perfect recipe for pesto. This pesto was delicious. I used fresh Reggiano Parmigiano cut out of a wheel of cheese from a great Italian cheese shop on Arthur Ave. in the Bronx, NY. Don’t leave out the Parmigiano cheese! Use all fresh ingredients and you will be blown away by this recipe. I also used fresh garlic and fresh basil from my garden and Olio Carli extra virgin olive oil. Amazing!
just made a batch, only used toasted almonds, instead of pine nuts, i believe it will give an extra crunchiness in the bite.
Amazing
I was cutting back my basil plant and decided to make pesto. I have not made pesto in years, but this recipe is a snap. Mmmm pasta al pesto tonight! Thanks for your recipe.
I made the recipe exactly as it was written, so my review is credible. In my opinion, anyone who rates this recipe after they have made changes to it, is giving a dishonest review. This serves no one. Especially people who rely on ratings to help them decide whether or not they want to invest their ingredients in making a recipe. In my opinion, I felt that this recipe was good. The ratios were effective at producing a tasty pesto. I think, though, as others have suggested here, that the recipe needs a little bit of enhancement and that lemon juice would likely be the perfect addition to enhance all of the flavors. I will make this recipe again and next time I will add lemon.
I just made it and had the same thought. Out to the market for lemons now!
thank you for being honest Mimi. I’m going to make this and add the lemon!
We are Asian and located at the heart of South East Asia and this is a very Western recipe. when my son requested pesto pasta, i started looking for pesto sauce but found this recipe instead! It’s reallyyy lovely.. the freshness and the texture of the sauce are much better than store bought!! The kids fell in love!
May I know which type of basil is good for pesto ? Can I use sweet basil ?
Been making this for years with my dad. We use toasted sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts.
Never have pine nut in hand so I used walnuts almonds and cashews hope you don’t mind. Wonderful thks for the test of receipe .Thumbs up!
Hi, may I know if there’s any way I could thicken the pesto sauce?
I haven’t made this yet I just had a question. Is Parmesan necessary? Because I have all the other ingredients just not parm. Will it be okay if I just skip that step or should I pick some up before I make it
I can not eat Parmesan cheese, so can you leave it out.
So good. I used 4 cups basil leaves and expanded the other ingredients proportionately. Will freeze half for the cold brutal winter. I use cauliflower pasta (delicious).
Insanely delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Once I make this, how long can it be kept refrigerated for?
I could drink this basil pesto! So delicious and easy to make – made it in my Ninja Chopper and ate it tonight on baked chicken and otherwise boring rice and the rest is going on pasta this weekend.
recipe says 1 week in refrigerator, I freeze mine.
This is SO delicious and very easy to make. I took the advice of some of the reviewers. I only used two decent-sized garlic cloves, walnuts in place of the pine nuts and added a little lemon juice. I blended it all in my mini Cuisinart food processor. I had half of it over some homemade ricotta gnocchi that I had in the freezer. This is better than any store-bought pesto that I’ve had. Thanks for this keeper recipe!
needs lemon juice. Quick freezing tip: pesto does not keep long in the fridge. do not add the cheese, freeze in ice cube trays, then put in a ziplock. Take out when you need and add cheese when thawed. Amazing in chicken salad sandwiches and potato salad too. Many thanks!