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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This Recipe was amazin, Best Pesto ever!!!!
Hi there! I have been in search for the perfect pesto recipe and now I have found it! Delicious! The perfect combination of ingredients. Thank you for sharing! Happy family. I plan on using the leftover pesto sauce on grilled caprese sandwiches tomorrow.
First time I ever made pesto! It was easy, and delicious. Best ever, so far…. I never give anything five stars unless it sends me into outer space!
Never made before, butsound good.
I have a question. When it says store in airtight container for up to a week, does that mean you cant use it until the week has passed?
No, it means that it will remain fresh and useable for a week. I suggest making the pesto as described and pouring it into preferably soft pliable plastic ice cube trays and freezing it right away. That way, you can store the prepared cubed pesto and strong plastic container in the freezer and take it out as needed. Someone suggested adding a squeeze of fresh lemon to the pesto when you’re making it. I have not tried that yet, but it sounds good. Good luck with your cooking!
Made this but needed to sub the garlic for garlic powder and used Kraft parmesan cheese! I don’t have a food processor but my blender worked just fine. It still came out really good! I added the pesto to some rotini and added some white mushrooms to the mix and it was delicious! I can’t wait to try it with actual garlic and fresh parmesan.
Substitute for pine nuts???
Sunflower seeds,pistachios or almonds.
Choose the nut that you like best as a substitute. I like walnuts best.
Great recipe! I have made it yesterday and everyone in my home sweet home totally loved it! Thanks for sharing
It was a very easy recipe and delicious .thank you for the easy recipe.
Amazing made this tonight with gnocchi and chicken!!
Tastes really good, but do I have to store it for 1 week in the refrigerator. Can I use it like after 1 hour of making it?
Hey Victoria,
You can use it right away. The comment about storing it in the fridge is just saying it will go bad after a week.
It won’t necessarily go bad, it is just best used within the week.
Thanks for recepe, will try to make it, but now difficult to find ingredients many things not in the stor
I’m making this for the opposite reason: they kept not having the pre-made one in stock!
Thank you. Will enjoy tonight!
Love your recipes.
Very simple and concise step by step procedure. Will make this for sure and my family will love it.
love ur easy to read recipets. thk u.
All I can say is perfect Totally the best.
I used this recipe the best i ever ate love it make it almost once a week
This was awesome, though admittedly I used this recipe as a base. I didn’t have a lot of basil, so i used mostly spinach with SOME basil. I also didn’t have pine nuts, so i subbed walnuts. But holy moly it was good! I used some of the leftovers today to make a vinaigrette, so i’m pretty stoked to have my salad for lunch!
I have two question.
#1 – I am from Indonesia and basil in our country is smaller in size but stronger in flavour. How to adjust this recipe. If I was to use the whole cup of local basil for this recipe, I think the aroma of basil will be overpowering. If I decrease the amount, will I still get good consistency and colour? #2 – in my country pine nut is just ridiculously expensive. Can I substitute it with cashew or peanut, or just omit it? Thank you.
Hi Daniel! Unfortunately, I am not familiar with basil in Indonesia so I cannot really say how much the recipe will change with increasing or decreasing the amount of basil. Additionally, pine nuts is key for a very good pesto so I do not recommend substituting. Hope this answers your questions. Good luck!
Hi , you can replace pinenut with pistachios , it will offcourse wont taste siimilar like originally with pinenut but still taste good as usually i make it with pistachio as pinenut is expensive and not available always at my place.Hope this helps
Absolutely delicious! I substituted pumpkin seeds for the pine nuts because I have an allergy and I could not taste the difference, just as yummy. I’ve also used walnuts in the past and these worked perfectly.
It won’t necessarily go bad, it is just best used within the week.
Yet well it’s very good
Thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe. It’s amazingly good. Way better than store bought pesto sauce.