Garlic Basil Pesto

I love homemade Garlic Basil Pesto because it’s versatile and tastes incredible on everything from pizza, pasta, poached eggs, Caprese salad, and avocado toast. You can bake it into bread, or mix it into hummus… I could go on forever with delicious ways to use pesto!

Why You Should Make this Recipe

Pesto is incredibly versatile. It is great on pasta and pizza as we all know, but it’s also something you can make into delicious dressings and serve as a condiment.

Nothing beats a traditional pine nut pesto, because the nuttiness of the pine nuts pair perfectly with the aromatic garlic and basil. Or you can make this purslane pesto, a unique spin on the classic.

If you have a basil plant that is producing more than you can handle, this recipe is one you will never tire of. Make it repeatedly and add it to all your favorites: avocado toast, Savory Miso Oatmeal, hummus, and more.

Ingredients You Need

pine nuts – also known as pignolias, but you can substitute with walnuts or cashews for a slightly different flavor.

basil – this recipe uses fresh basil. You cannot substitute dried basil in this recipe. Trim the stems off your fresh basil leaves. Quarter or roughly chop the garlic cloves, because if you put the cloves whole in the food processor, they will not fully break down.

olive oil – use high-quality olive oil because the flavor it brings is a large part of the pesto. Using low-quality flavorless olive oil will yield a less flavorful pesto.

garlic – I use a ton of garlic in my pesto but feel free to scale back if that is your preference.

How to Toast Pine Nuts

There are several ways to toast pine nuts. My two favorites are on the stove or in the oven:

Stove Top Method

Spread the pine nuts in a fry pan in a single layer. Cook over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Toss them around in the pan frequently to avoid burning.

Oven Method

Spread the pine nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 375F until golden brown and fragrant. It helps to shake the pan every couple of minutes to avoid burning. Immediately transfer to another dish to stop the cooking.

Step by Step Homemade Basil Pesto

Put the prepared 4 oz. basil, 4 cloves rough chopped garlic, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper into the food processor. Run the food processor, slowly adding in 1/2 cup of olive oil as the processor is running.

Transfer the basil pesto to a bowl (photo 1). Finely grate 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese into the bowl (photo 2). Mix until the parmesan is fully incorporated (photo 3).

Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste. Your pesto is ready to be used however you like!

Pesto Storage Advice

Pesto is good to freeze. If you’ve made a lot of pesto, it’s a great idea to freeze it in small portions so that you can remove and defrost small amounts as and when needed. The easiest way to do this is to use an ice cube tray. Pack each tray with some of the pesto mixture, and freeze so that you have little pesto cubes. Then. remove the frozen cubes store them in an airtight container/bag in your freezer, and defrost them as needed.

In general, if the pesto has significantly changed color and is no longer bright green but a darker shade or has gone brown, it’s not good to eat. Scrape off the top layer and you might find freshness underneath. Also, smell the pesto – if it smells bad or musty, then it is past its time.

Best Pesto Recipes

You’ll love these spins on classic pesto, plus new ways to use pesto in your cooking.

Ramp Pesto

Purslane Pesto

Avocado Pesto Pasta with Beets, Corn, Goat Cheese & Arugula

Fig, Pesto, & Arugula Pizza

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Author: Candice Walker

Garlic Basil Pesto

5 from 11 votes

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You will want to put this more than just your pizzas and pastas – avocado toasts, poached eggs, caprese salad, bake it into bread, mix it into hummus, and I could go on forever. Delicious.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Kosher, Vegetarian

Servings: 4

Calories: 413kcal

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 oz. fresh basil Stems removed
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic Rough chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• ▢ 1/2 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup parmesan grated
• ▢ 1/4 tsp pepper to taste
• ▢ salt to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Trim the stems off the basil.
• Quarter or roughly chop the garlic (if you put it in the food processor whole they will not break down)
• Toast pine nuts.
• Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts and 1/4 tsp pepper in the food processor.
• With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil.
• Finely grate the parmesan into a medium sized bowl. The parmesan is salty so we don’t add salt until the end.
• Add the contents of the food processor to the parmesan.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

You can toast the pine nuts on the stove in a fry pan or in the oven on a baking sheet. See blog post for detailed instructions.

Pesto is perfectly good to freeze. If you’ve made a lot of pesto, it’s a good idea to freeze it in small portions so that you can remove and defrost small amounts as and when needed. The easiest way to do this is to use an ice cube tray. Pack each tray with some of the pesto mixture, and freeze so that you have little pesto cubes. Then. remove the frozen cubes and store in an airtight container/bag in your freezer, and defrost as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1593IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you try this recipe?I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a Review to let us know how it came out, if you have a successful substitution or variation, or anything else.