There are so many tasty and fun ways to enjoy pesto like in our creamy pesto chicken, pesto stuffed roasted tomatoes, or pesto popcorn! You can say goodbye to store-bought pesto because all you need to make it is five ingredients, a few minutes, and a food processor. We also share a variety of ways you can change up the ingredients based on what you have on hand or what’s fresh and in season. It makes enough for four pasta servings, but it’s a recipe you can easily double. Any leftovers freeze well so all you have to do is pull some out of the freezer, toss it with cooked pasta, add a sprinkle of parmesan, and you’ve got yourself a delicious restaurant-quality meal in minutes.
This simple pesto recipe is versatile and all the ingredients can be substituted, but let’s start with what you need to make this basic version as they do in Italy:
Basil – fresh basil leaves are the classic pesto herb. They’re fragrant and subtly sweet with hints of mint and pepper. Pine nuts – pine nuts have a soft, nutty flavor similar to cashews. They’re another classic pesto ingredient that makes it savory and adds creaminess. Parmesan – parmesan adds a salty, cheesy flavor that turns creamy when used in hot dishes. Lemon juice – only fresh lemon juice will do! It adds acidity that brightens up and balances out the pesto. Sea salt – sea salt makes all the other awesome flavors pop. Garlic – a garlic clove adds a kick of pungent flavor. If you love garlic, add a few garlic cloves. Olive oil – the type of oil or olive oil you choose will have a big impact on the overall taste of this pesto. We recommend using a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Pesto is such a beautiful, flavorful sauce with endless variations. Use ingredients you love, herbs that are fresh in your garden, or what you have on hand.
Here are substitution ideas for each of the basic recipe ingredients:
Instead of basil, try other fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and parsley. You can swap it entirely, or use a mix. You can even add a generous handful of greens like baby spinach, kale, arugula, carrot tops, or even peas along with the herbs for a boost of nutrition and fiber. For the nuts, try swapping the pine nuts (which can be crazy expensive) for different combinations like walnuts, pistachios, almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. We tend to like to toast our nuts first to bring out their flavor. While parmigiano reggiano is classic for pesto, try other cheeses like pecorino romano cheese, grana padano, or even asiago. You can also leave it out completely for a vegan pesto, and use nutritional yeast instead. Fresh lemon juice is classic and harder to replace, but try playing around with the quantities to reach the tanginess that you love. Use extra lemon juice for pesto with fish, orange juice works really well with basil, and lime pesto works really well with cilantro. Garlic is unique and you either love it or loathe it, so add as much or as little as you like. Tasty substitutes include garlic scapes, shallot, chives, green onion (the green part only), or even lemongrass. While any oil will work, avoid using any flavorless oils like canola, grape seed, or sunflower seed oil. Try walnut oil, avocado oil, argan oil, pumpkin seed oil, or hazelnut oil. Each will add its own unique flavor.
This homemade basil pesto recipe will transform everything from noodles to sandwiches, soups, fish and meat dishes, and even grilled veggies!
Pesto is one of those versatile sauces that makes everything it touches taste incredible. Toss it with pasta noodles, spread it onto a sandwich, use it on pizza, dollop it into soups, drizzle it over roasted meats or veggies, or simply enjoy it as a dip!
Try it in one of our favorite pesto pasta recipes
Chicken Pesto Pasta Pesto Tortellini Salad Caprese Pesto Pasta
Did you make this?
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