• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
  • Recipes
    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Meatless Monday
    • Appetizer
    • Air fryer

The Dinner Bite logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
  • Recipes
    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Meatless Monday
    • Appetizer
    • Air fryer
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Condiments and Sauces » Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

    Published: May 18, 2022 · Modified: Aug 3, 2022 by Ajoke · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

    Skip to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Simple homemade basil pesto sauce! learn how to make the absolute best basil pesto that is easy and quick to make. This homemade pesto is delicious, versatile and packed full of flavor, and definitely better than storebought. Let me show you how to make it in easy steps.

    Pesto is one of those sauces that everyone seems to love not only is it delicious but is also versatile too. It's fresh, vibrant, herby, and has a lovely balance of acidity and creaminess. And while it's super easy to buy jarred pesto at the store, making it at home is even easier and only takes a few minutes. And the taste? So much better than store-bought!

    This homemade basil pesto recipe is my go-to pesto recipe. It's simple, fresh, and packed full of flavor. The key ingredients are basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. You'll also need a food processor or blender to make this fresh pesto recipe. The best part is that you can make a big batch at once, portion it into ice cube trays and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    If you've never made pesto at home, don't be intimidated! It's really easy and only takes a few minutes. I'll walk you through the process step-by-step so you can see just how easy it is.

    basil pesto sauce in a food processor.

    What is pesto sauce

    Pesto is a sauce, originally from Italy, made with basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. It is vibrant green and smells amazing, typically used as a pasta sauce, but can also be used on pizza, in sandwiches, or as a dip. You can make so many variations of pesto sauce depending on your need but I particularly like the basil-based one.

    a hand about to hold up a spoon of basil pesto from the bowl.

    Ingredients

    Here are the main ingredients needed to make a classic pesto

    Fresh basil leaves

    Pinenuts

    Garlic

    Parmesan cheese

    Olive oil substitute with extra virgin olive oil

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    ingredients to make poesto on a light pink surface.

    How to make basil pesto sauce

    To a food processor, add fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic, and pulse for a few seconds just until fully chopped. (scrape the sides of the food processor from time to time for a more consistent result)

    Add olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and process until combined and emulsified. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of olive oil until the desired consistency is achieved.

    the process shot of making pesto sauce in a food processor.

    Transfer the sauce into an airtight jar and place it in the fridge until needed.

    How to use pesto

    Apart from adding it to pasta sauce or gnocchi dishes, there are many creative ways to use pesto

    Use leftover pesto to make salad dressing, pesto mayo, or pesto butter: these can be used as a sandwich or grilled cheese spread.

    Add it to dips and sauces

    Make tortellini pesto salad

    Add to your eggs, omelet, fried or scrambled eggs.

    Use as a marinade and make pesto chicken, meatballs, or pesto flavored veggies

    Make pizza using pesto and mozzarella cheese as your topping

    Forget garlic bread and make some cheesy pesto bread instead.

    Tips

    • Substitute the basil for Thai basil
    • Use other types of nuts
    • You can reduce the amount of garlic used in this recipe or omit it completely if you prefer.

    How to store

    Pesto will last in the fridge for up to 1 week, make sure to store it in an airtight container. Alternatively, cover the bowl with a cling film, making sure to press the cling film onto the surface of the pesto to avoid oxidization. There is a likelihood that the pesto might change color to brown after a few days in the fine, check and be sure it is still fine before consuming.

    You can freeze pesto in an ice cube tray if you want, it will stay for up to 1 month if you added parmesan cheese and up to 3 months without the cheese.

    a bowl of pesto corvered with clingfilm.
    pesto sauce in a small bowl.

    Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

    Ajoke
    Simple homemade basil pesto sauce! learn how to make the absolute best basil pesto that is easy and quick to make. This homemade pesto is delicious, versatile and packed full of flavor, and definitely better than storebought. Let me show you how to make it in easy steps.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Condiments
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 1 cup
    Calories 1488 kcal

    Equipment

    • Food Processor

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
    • ⅓ cup pinenuts
    • 2 large garlic cloves
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
    • ½ cup olive oil substitute with extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • To a food processor, add fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, and garlic, and pulse for a few seconds just until fully chopped. (scrape the sides of the food processor from time to time for a more consistent result)
    • Add olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and process until combined and emulsified. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of olive oil until the desired consistency is achieved.
    • Transfer the sauce into an airtight jar and place it in the fridge until needed.

    Notes

    How to store
    Pesto will last in the fridge for up to 1 week, make sure to store it in an airtight container. Alternatively, cover the bowl with a cling film, making sure to press the cling film onto the surface of the pesto to avoid oxidization. There is a likelihood that the pesto might change color to brown after a few days in the fine, check and be sure it is still fine before consuming.
    You can freeze pesto in an icecube tray if you want, it will stay for up to 1 month if you added parmesan cheese and up to 3 months without the cheese.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1488kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 23gFat: 153gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 27gMonounsaturated Fat: 91gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 881mgPotassium: 527mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2978IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 546mgIron: 5mg

    Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.

    Keyword basil pesto sauce, homemade pesto sauce, how to make basil pesto sauce
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thedinnerbite or tag #thedinnerbite!
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    FAQs

    Can I make pesto without a food processor

    Yes, you can make it even if you don't have a food processor. You can use a blender instead of a food processor, however, it will get a smoother consistency and a little runnier. Another alternative is the pestle and mortar, this is the traditional method however, it is not quick but it will guarantee a good (rustic) pesto consistency.

    How can I make pesto without pinenuts

    Pine nuts contain nuts and may not be an option if you have a nut allergy. there are great substitutes for pinenuts when making pesto, the most common ones are almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, and even pistachios.

    Can I make pesto without cheese

    Yes, you can! If you want to keep this recipe vegan just substitute the Parmesan for nutritional yeast flakes, vegan parmesan cheese or simply leave it out.

    Will dried basil work for this recipe

    Unfortunately, the answer is no, it just wouldn't taste the same, so try and get fresh basil for your pesto. If you don't have much fresh basil or you find the aromatic flavors powering then you can use a combination of basil and fresh spinach leave.

    Can I add lemon juice

    Yes, you can add lemon juice or lime juice to pesto if you wish, just add it according to taste.

    More DIY sauce recipes you will love

    Fry sauce

    Chinese curry sauce

    Creamy dill sauce for salmon

    Parsley sauce

    Easy stir fry sauce

    Lemon butter sauce

    Tartar sauce

    Homemade teriyaki sauce

    Bang bang sauce

    No-cook pizza sauce

    If you made this easy homemade aromatic condiment recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox

    2 shares

    Filed Under: Condiments and Sauces

    About Ajoke

    Hello, Nice to meet you! Welcome and thanks for visiting my food blog "The Dinner Bite". Feel free to browse through, you are guaranteed nothing here but a yummy experience

    Previous Post: « Air Fryer Gnocchi
    Next Post: Pesto Butter »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Ajoke.

    It is really nice to meet you! Welcome and thanks for visiting my food blog "The Dinner Bite". Feel free to browse through, you are guaranteed nothing here but a yummy experience.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Easy Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe
    • Instant pot fish (frozen Cod)
    • Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe
    • Easy Iced Coffee Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 The Dinner Bite