Basil Pesto

Here’s all you need to know to make the BEST Basil Pesto! This basil pesto recipe is a step by step guide to making the sauce, freezing it, defrosting, using it, switching up nuts, and even making a basil pesto without nuts!

Basil Pesto is such a fabulously easy sauce to prepare, and it can be made in endless variations of flavors and used in endless recipes!

While there are so many ways to make pesto, today we’re starting off with the basic one. The classic Italian basil pesto won over the worlds’ tastebuds.

BASIL PESTO

If you’ve been using store-bought pesto, then you’ll be surprised at how homemade pesto tastes much better!

This is an Italian sauce, classically made using fresh ingredients crushed in a mortar and pestle.

Since basil is such an aromatic herb, it shines and flavors this sauce. The bright flavor of basil is complimented with a hint of garlic, lemon and parmesan.

Simplest of ingredients can create the best of dishes sometimes, and this recipe is the perfect example!

What is basil pesto good for?

So many things! My favorite ways to use basil pesto include:

• Tossing it with cooked pasta and extra parmesan cheese. The classic Italian pesto pasta that you can’t go wrong with!
• Dress up grilled meats, chicken, fish or veggies.
• When mixed with a tablespoon of mayo, the pesto turns into probably the best sandwich spread you’ll ever have!
• Also, when mixed with balsamic or any sweet vinegar, the pesto recipe turns into the best salad dressing!
• Swirled into rice or risotto for a burst of flavor!
• Also swirled into your mashed potatoes— YUM! (PS have you tried my favorite instant post mashed potatoes yet?)
• Makes a terrific dipping sauce — Pecan Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders.
• Jazz up a can of tuna or pasta salad!

Let’s jump to the recipe!

BASIL PESTO RECIPE

Each summer when my fresh garden basil grows like crazy, I made plenty of basil pesto and freeze it for the winter. Anytime you’re at the store and find any deal on fresh basil, make plenty of pesto!

I’ll share details of storing and freezing below.

Pesto Ingredients

• Fresh Basil
• Garlic
• Lemon Juice
• Olive Oil
• Pinenuts
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt
• Sugar

Simple and fresh is probably the best way to describe those ingredients!

Since we’re talking the classic pesto today, I won’t go into variations of switching up the herbs. In some cases, you can have spinach basil pesto, arugula pesto, parsley pesto and endless variations.

Another thing you can easily swap is the parmesan cheese for Romano or Asiago, or even vegan parmesan to make this a Vegan Basil Pesto.

Nuts in Basil Pesto

When it comes to the nuts, the pine nuts are classic for this recipe. They add a creamy texture and almost bind the sauce to be what it is. So by all means, you can’t skip the nuts.

You can however vary on the type of nuts. I love pistachios and use it to make my pesto pasta recipe. Walnuts is another hit.

But what if you can’t have nuts at all?

Basil Pesto Without Nuts

10 years ago, a good friend of mine had to cook for her kids who had serious nut allergies. She wanted to nut free basil pesto that still holds the sauce texture and with the same taste.

We found the best substitute to pine nuts in basil pesto to be : Hemp Seeds.

Hemp seeds are not a nut, but they add just the same nutty flavour, creaminess and emulsification to the sauce.

In addition to all that, these seeds are one of the superfoods—they pack protein, I mean pack protein, all the amino acids, omega 6, fibre, iron and many other benefits.

To make the nut free basil pesto, follow the same recipe substituting the hemp seeds for pine nuts and that’s it!

HOW TO MAKE BASIL PESTO

First of all you’ll need to gather your ingredients and a food processor.

Here’s How to Make basil pesto from scratch

Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until a smooth creamy sauce is formed.

You want a texture that’s smooth with no chunks of nuts or large pieces of basil. The nuts here are what make the sauce saucy.

Seriously the easiest sauce you’ll ever make!

Now that you’ve made the pesto, let’s talk storing, best way to freeze and defrost!

How Do you Store Basil Pesto?

In my fridge, I love storing the pesto in a jar or sealed container. I add a thin layer of olive oil over the top of the jar to keep my pesto green and vibrant.

How long will basil pesto keep in fridge?

You can store the pesto for a week in the fridge as it is. However if you keep adding the thin layer of olive over the top of the pesto sauce, the jar will keep for at least 2 weeks and up to a month.

I use the olive oil trick which I learned from my grandpa and he uses it to make and store his genius Hot Pepper Sauce recipe!

My favorite trick however is to freeze pesto.

How to Freeze Basil Pesto?

For the record, I’ve tried the ice cube trick which seems to be the most common way people freeze pesto.

However I find that the sheet pan trick is best because it defrosts in much less time. Also I love that you control the portion to defrost versus ice cube portions only.

Here’s how to do it:

Spread the prepared pesto over a parchment paper lined baking sheet or a 9”X13” pan. This depends on the amount of pesto you have and on the thickness you want to freeze it in.

Remember the thinner, the faster it defrosts.

Cover the top of the pesto with another layer of parchment paper and freeze the pan until solid.

Place the frozen pesto wrapped in parchment paper in a ziploc bag. At that point you can can keep it in the freezer for months. Up to 8 months.

When you’re ready to use the basil pesto, simply trim a chunk of frozen pesto—big or small depending on how much you need.

BASIL PESTO TIPS:

• Use Fresh Basil.
• You can use extra garlic and lemon if you prefer an extra zest of flavor to your pesto.
• Nuts are a MUST to emulsify your pesto sauce. Any type of nuts work, and if you’re making a nut free basil pesto, use hemp seeds.
• To keep your pesto fresher and stay longer in your fridge, always keep a thin layer of olive oil on the top of the jar.
• Follow the freezing tips above foe easy frozen and easy defrost pesto.
• Use the pesto sauce endlessly (see above uses and below recipes).
• Do I need to Blanch basil for pesto? You can do that to keep your pesto green and fresh, however it’s a lengthy process and you can skip it completely. Make sure you add the layer of olive oil mentioned above.
• Why is my pesto bitter? Because the olive oil when crushed in a food processor releases a substance which creates the slight bitter taste. To avoid this, I add a touch of sugar to my pesto recipe and make sure the sauce is well seasoned with salt.

RECIPES TO MAKE WITH BASIL PESTO 

Fettuccine With Pistachio Pesto Sauce

Skinny Grilled Chicken Parmesan

Roast Veggie Sandwich with Basil Sauce

Italian Panzanella Salad With Basil Dressing

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Lasagna Roll Ups For Two

How To Make Lasagna With Pierogies

4.6 from 22 votes

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Basil Pesto

Here’s all you need to know to make the BEST Basil Pesto! This basil pesto recipe is a step by step guide to making the sauce, freezing it, defrosting, using it, switching up nuts, and even making a basil pesto without nuts!

Course Dips, dressing, sauce

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil pesto, basil pesto recipe, homemade pesto sauce, how to make basil recipe, pesto, pesto sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 20 Tablespoons

Calories 99 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh basil packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice juice from 1 large lemon
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. In a food processor, place all ingredients and process until a creamy sauce is formed.
2. Transfer some of the sauce into a jar to store in your fridge. Make sure to add a thin layer of sauce over the top of the jar before sealing it.
3. Freeze the remaining pesto according to instructions on freezing below.
4. Spread the prepared basil pesto over a parchment paper lined baking sheet or a 9”X13” pan. This depends on the amount of pesto you have and on the thickness you want to freeze it in.
5. Remember the thinner, the faster it defrosts.
6. Cover the top of the pesto with another layer of parchment paper and freeze the pan until solid.
7. Place the frozen pesto wrapped in parchment paper in a ziploc bag. At that point you can can keep it in the freezer for months. Up to 8 months.
8. When you’re ready to use the basil pesto, simply trim a chunk of frozen pesto—big or small depending on how much you need.

Recipe Notes

BASIL PESTO TIPS:

• Use Fresh Basil.
• You can use extra garlic and lemon if you prefer an extra zest of flavor to your pesto.
• Nuts are a MUST to emulsify your pesto sauce. Any type of nuts work, and if you’re making a nut free basil pesto, use hemp seeds.
• To keep your basil pesto fresher and stay longer in your fridge, always keep a thin layer of olive oil on the top of the jar.
• Follow the freezing tips above foe easy frozen and easy defrost pesto.
• Use the fresh basil pesto endlessly (see above uses).
• Do I need to Blanch basil for pesto? You can do that to keep your pesto green and fresh, however it’s a lengthy process and you can skip it completely. Make sure you add the layer of olive oil mentioned above.
• Why is my pesto bitter? Because the olive oil when crushed in a food processor releases a substance which creates the slight bitter taste. To avoid this, I add a touch of sugar to my basil pesto recipe and make sure the sauce is well seasoned with salt.

Nutrition Facts

Basil Pesto

Amount Per Serving

Calories 99 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 215mg9%

Potassium 29mg1%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 209IU4%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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