Our homemade pesto recipe is a vibrant green sauce that comes together in just 5 minutes — and it will instantly upgrade your pasta, sandwiches, chicken dishes, and more. Made with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and good olive oil, this is the only pesto recipe you’ll ever need.
Table of Contents
- Origins of Homemade Pesto
- What Is Homemade Pesto?
- How to Make Homemade Pesto
- Homemade Pesto vs. Store Bought
- How to Serve Homemade Pesto
Origins of Homemade Pesto
Pesto Genovese has been made in the Ligurian city of Genoa for centuries — it’s so iconic that it holds Protected Designation of Origin status under EU food law. The term pesto comes from the Italian word pestare which means to crush. Italians used a mortar and pestle however you can easily use a food processor in order to achieve your desired smooth consistency.
What Is Homemade Pesto?
Pesto is a versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of ways. Some people like to add to some fresh pasta as a sauce. Others spread it on a sandwich in lieu of mustard and mayonnaise. Another way it can be used is to add it when cooking a chicken dish served with some fresh vegetables and pasta. Basically, pesto is a green sauce with origins from Genoa, Italy. Like our Thyme Vinaigrette, homemade pesto is a fresh herb-forward condiment that elevates everything from salads to grilled meats.
How to Make Homemade Pesto
Pesto is very easy to make. All you need is few basic ingredients and there is a good chance you have these ingredients in your kitchen or garden. The ingredients to make pesto are basil, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. If you do not have fresh basil in your garden, we recommend you buy basil the day you make your sauce. Have some extra basil from your garden? This is the perfect recipe to use it all up.
The beauty of this basic sauce is that you can add pine nuts, chili peppers, parsley, etc. to help enhance the flavors of your dish. If you choose to use pine nuts, you should dry roast them on a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing them often until golden in color. However, since pine nuts are expensive, you can substitute them with walnuts or blanched almonds.
Homemade Pesto vs. Store Bought: Why Fresh Always Wins
Pesto is not expensive to make and can be made with a few key ingredients. Every summer we grow our beautiful Italian sweet Basil. When gathering the leaves from the basil plant, make sure to wash and rinse them thoroughly using a salad spinner to remove all dirt. The aroma of fresh basil from the garden will invigorate the air in your kitchen.
Note that you can make pesto during the summer months and keep it in the refrigerator and freezer because it stores well. Fresh homemade pesto in our opinion is better than store-bought. Store-bought pesto tends to be expensive and you really do not need to spend that much when you can make it from scratch.
There are many types of basil. You can use Thai and lemon basil, however, know that it will change the flavor of your pesto. Remember, homemade always tastes better.
How to Serve Homemade Pesto: 5 Delicious Ideas
Our homemade pesto can be used in many different types of dishes. The most typical is to mix it with fresh pasta. Toss it with freshly cooked spaghetti or penne for a quick weeknight dinner — or try our Easy Baked Feta Pasta for another simple, crowd-pleasing pasta night. You can also add it as a base for pizza. In addition, you can spread it on a sandwich to enhance the flavors — spread it onto warm Homemade Pita Bread for an irresistible Mediterranean appetizer board. Pesto is also good for using to marinate with grilled or roasted vegetables. Lastly, you can spread it on chicken, salmon, or pork tenderloin.
Remember to always have fun when preparing your meals.
Homemade Pesto – Simple and Delicious
Equipment
- (Help support our site!)Salad Spinner
- (Help support our site!)Food Processor
- (Help support our site!)Rubber Spatula
- Storage Container
Ingredients
- 2 bunch Fresh Sweet Basil
- 1 cup EVO
- ⅓ cup Grated Parmesan
- 6 clove Fresh Garlic Cloves
Instructions
- Gather your basic basil pesto ingredients.
- Clean the basil leaves of stems and place into a salad spinner to wash basil.
- Once the leaves are clean, place the basil, garlic and salt into the food processor.
- Grind down the basil and garlic to a pulp and pulse until it reaches a smooth consistency. Make sure you wipe the sides clean using a rubber spatula.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil to the food processor.
- Blend down the mixture till it grinds down to a thicken consistency. Add additional olive oil if needed.
- Using the rubber spatula remove from food processor and refrigerate for later use.
