Homemade Pesto
Updated Aug 30, 2025
Learn how to make Basil Pesto Sauce in this easy tutorial. I share tips for how to customize your homemade pesto with different nuts & herbs!
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My Homemade Pesto
This is how I make a traditional basil pesto sauce that is great to toss with pasta, use as sauce on pizza, spread like mayo on a sandwich, or brush over grilled chicken before serving. I like to think of pesto as more of a method than a recipe because you can change out the greens, change out the nuts and even leave out the cheese.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Pesto Ingredients
- Basil: Use the leaves only as the stems can be bitter. Look for bright green leaves with no brown spots for the best color and flavor. You can swap the basil for other greens like spinach, parsley, kale, arugula or even carrot or beet tops. Or, use a combination of greens. It’s a great way to use up odds and ends in the fridge.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. If you like things spicy, double the garlic or add a pinch of black pepper or red pepper flakes along with it.
- Nuts: Italian pine nuts, or pignoli, are traditional but are very expensive. However, stores like Trader Joe’s tend to stock the less expensive Chinese imports. Either works, or swap for your favorite nut or seed of choice. I love using pistachios like I did in this pistachio pasta recipe!
- Parmesan cheese: I like to grate it fresh for this recipe. Pecorino is a very good sub and close in taste. Any hard cheese will work, and although it’s not traditional, it will taste delicious. Think manchego, cheddar or even gouda!
- Lemon juice: Or use any fresh citrus juice you have. If you don’t have any, you could skip or use a splash of red wine vinegar instead.
- Salt: Add just enough to bring out all the other flavors.
- Olive oil: You do not need the highest quality here, just something with a flavor you enjoy.
How to Make Pesto
Easy Homemade Pesto Recipe
Whip up this easy basil pesto in minutes! Great for tossing with pasta, spreading on sandwiches, or adding flavor to weeknight meals.
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves destemmed and packed
- ⅓ cup raw pine nuts
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and process until very finely minced. Add the lemon juice and parmesan cheese.
- With the machine running, slowly stream in the oil and process until the mixture is smooth.
Equipment
Notes
Storage: Store the pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can place a plastic wrap directly on the pesto to help slow down oxidation. You can also freeze pesto, I like to freeze it in ice cube trays so I can use a little at a time. If frozen, it’s best if used within 6 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 123mg, Potassium: 68mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 436IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Popular Additions
- Make it creamy. Once your pesto is blended to your liking, try adding 1 cup of ricotta or cottage cheese for a creamy version of this sauce. Give it a quick blend to make it extra smooth.
- Add something briny: For more umami flavor, trying adding 1 tablespoon drained capers, ¼ cup drained sundried tomatoes or 2 anchovies.
- Make it Vegan: You can either swap the cheese for nutritional yeast, or leave it out for a vegan pesto.
Recipe Tips
- Always check your nuts for freshness. Rancid nuts can really spoil the recipe and ruin the taste. I keep my pine nuts in the freezer since they are so expensive and they last longer in the freezer.
- Add more olive oil to remedy any dry pesto. Make sure to do this while the food processor is running to allow the olive oil to emulsify and create a looser texture. Just blend until you reach the texture you like.
- Thin out pesto with pasta water if you’re using it as a sauce. I usually keep my pesto thicker so that it’s more versatile as a spread. But when adding to pasta, the starchy pasta water is a great way to thin out the pesto sauce.
- Toast the pine nuts for the best flavor. While this is not necessary to make pesto, toasting helps a little more flavor from the pine nuts, or whatever nut you are using.
- Make it by hand! Old-school cooks used a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients together, so you don’t need a food processor. You can also use a blender.
Recipes to Make with Pesto
- Pesto Spaghetti with Shrimp
- Creamy Pesto Chicken
- Pesto Tomato Flatbread
- Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Grilled Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Avocado Panini
- Pumpkin Pesto Pasta
- Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto
- Zoodles with Pesto
Comments
Can you freeze this?
Yes, absolutely! Enjoy!
Great recipe, followed it to the tee but for me it’s too much garlic and not enough olive oil.
I didn’t have enough basil from my in-home garden so I added some parsley.
For the first time it was really good but again, for me, one garlic clove.
Can’t wait to make my dish tonight and I vacuumed sealed the rest.
So happy you liked it, Raymond! Love that you were able to make it work with a mix of parsley and basil!
Love your recipes!
Can pesto be made vegan?
It’s the best! You would have to find a vegan substitute for the grated parmesan cheese to make it vegan.