Homemade Basil Pesto

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This delicious and flavorful homemade pesto recipe uses just five simple ingredients and makes the perfect pasta or sandwich topping. Use in pesto pull-apart bread, on spaghetti salad or homemade baked ziti, or as a spread for my favorite yeast rolls recipe or caprese focaccia.

ANYWAY. Make no mistake: I am by no means a gardener. I’ve never been one, probably never will be, and, admittedly, get a lot of my summer produce from my siblings-in-law, neighbors, and gym members whose gardens are overflowing with zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. 

Pesto is, of course, easy to buy, but believe it or not, it’s even easier to make. What I love most about making it myself is that I can leave out the cheese if my husband wants some (he’s dairy-free!), change up the nuts based on what I need to use up in my ingredient pantry, and switch entirely away from nuts if there’s an allergy in our guest list (we’ll get to that).

Pesto is obviously made from lots of basil, but what gives it its texture, density, spreadability, and body is lots and lots of fat. Traditionally, pine nuts are used for the nut base, but you can also use walnuts. I have used both with no preference for one over the other. I just use whatever I have on hand, which is more often than not walnuts over pine nuts. 

That said, in addition to the basil, salt, and pine nuts or walnuts, you’ll need olive oil, fresh garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

I prefer to use grated Parm, but you can use shredded if you like. So much wiggle room!

Olive oil + garlic are next in line as flavor makers behind the basil. They bring depth and zest to the spread. 

What I really love about pesto is that it’s got a little zing but not in a spicy way. It’s just chock full of herby flavor which comes across as a little zing on the tongue and in the back of the throat.

It’s pesto’s signature move and it is heavenly.

The Parmesan cheese smooths things out and brings another level of tang to the pesto. Zest, zing, and tang… How can you not love pesto?!

STEP #2: replace the lid and remove the processor’s plug in order to pour the olive oil directly into the mixture. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue to process the mixture until all of the oil is incorporated.

Make a pull-apart bread: this bread is one of my favorite recipes on my entire site. Whenever I make it, it’s gone in no time and I make any excuse to eat it!

Focaccia: spread some pesto on my caprese focaccia or use it to make a fancy pesto grilled cheese.

Pesto pasta: use pesto as a sauce over cooked pasta in place of a traditional tomato sauce.

Pizza: use your pesto in place of pizza sauce on pizza crust, tortilla pizza, or my sheet pan pizza.

Bruschetta: pair pesto with my strawberry goat cheese bruschetta for a super fun appetizer.

Sandwich spread: use pesto as a spread on literally any sandwich where you might use something like mayo. You might as well make your own sandwich bread while you’re at it.

Dip it: use it as a dip for homemade yeast rolls, pizza pull-apart bread, pizza dip, or my grandmother’s Parmesan parsley bread.

Topping: the uses are limitless when you start adding it to dishes! It goes well with fish, eggs, chicken, and vegetables. 

Similar to guacamole, it will darken as it oxidizes. It still tastes the same, but it just isn’t nearly as beautiful.

You could also freeze the fresh pesto in small amounts, in a greased ice cube tray, and then thaw the amount you need for a recipe when you need it, so you don’t have as much leftover to store in the fridge.

Now… Power up that processor and start spreading that pesto! You’ll be deliciously painting the town green in no time!