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Basil Pesto
Basil pesto is one of those recipes that makes almost anything taste better. Fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil come together into a bright, savoury sauce that takes only minutes to make. Keep a jar in the fridge or freeze it in small portions, and you’ve got the beginnings of pasta, pizza, salad, soup, or a very good snack ready whenever you need it.
Basil Pesto
Basil Pesto is my ultimate flavour booster – packed with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and a good glug of olive oil. I make it in my food processor in minutes, and it’s an easy way to turn pasta, sandwiches or roasted veg into something magical. This classic Italian pesto is vibrant, punchy and endlessly versatile, and I always have a jar stashed in the fridge ready to spoon over everything.
Ingredients
- 100g fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 20g pine nuts, toasted
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 45g Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Add the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan to a food processor. Blitz for about 30 seconds, or until well combined.
- With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is thick and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with a pinch of salt.
Notes
- Pesto alla Genovese is the original, the classic, the one that started it all. It's from Liguria in northern Italy and is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, though a food processor does a brilliant job in a fraction of the time.
- I use this food processor for making pesto. It gives you a smooth, creamy consistency without overworking the basil.
- Fresh basil is absolutely essential here. Use the most fragrant, bright green leaves you can find and avoid any that are wilted or starting to turn black.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Watch them closely as they burn quickly.
- The key to silky pesto is adding the olive oil slowly while the processor is running. This emulsifies everything and creates that creamy texture.
- If the pesto seems too thick, add a tablespoon of warm water or pasta water to loosen it up.
- For a milder garlic flavour, use 1 clove instead of 2, or blanch the garlic briefly in boiling water before adding.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to prevent the basil from oxidising and turning brown.
- You can freeze pesto in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Pop out individual portions as needed and defrost at room temperature or stir directly into hot dishes.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 74Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 82mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
“This is my favourite recipe for using up my basil harvest! I've been making batches and freezing them in icecube trays. So much better than letting all my work go to waste.”
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Basil Pesto and A Fridge Favourite
When it comes to pantry staples, I tend to take things a little too far. I like to know that if I have a sudden craving for butter chicken, or a need to whip up an emergency stir-fry, the ingredients are already waiting for me. So it’s no surprise that my fridge is always home to a rotating cast of condiments, sauces, and jars of this and that. And right up the front is always a jar of my beloved Basil Pesto – it’s one of those things I never get sick of, and always find a use for. Even when I’m not in the mood for a full meal, you can bet I’ve got a cracker or slice of toast slathered in green pesto on hand.
This classic Italian pesto is just the thing to add instant flavour to whatever I’m cooking. Tossed through hot pasta, spooned into soup, stirred through risotto, or thinned out with olive oil and used as a dressing – it never lets me down. I love how bright and garlicky it is, with the richness of nuts and cheese making it feel just that little bit indulgent. When you make it fresh, the flavour is so much better than anything you’ll find in the shops. And best of all, it takes mere minutes to make.
Traditionally, pesto is made with a mortar and pestle – a real labour of love. But we’re not in a Ligurian monastery, and I’ve got a food processor that needs to earn its keep! All you need is quick blitz and it’s done. I usually make a big batch and freeze it in ice cube trays – perfect little portions of green gold, ready to go. It’s honestly one of the most rewarding things to have on hand. A spoonful here, a dollop there, and suddenly dinner’s sorted.
Uses for Pesto
Basil Pesto is one of those magic recipes that opens the door to so many meals. I often find myself reaching for it when I can’t be bothered cooking but still want something delicious. It’s my weeknight hero – no chopping, no fuss, just a jar of goodness ready to transform whatever’s in the fridge.
One of my favourite lazy dinners is to stir pesto through hot pasta with a splash of cream to make my pesto pasta. It turns into the silkiest sauce, full of flavour and comfort. And it’s also incredible mixed with ricotta and used as a stuffing for chicken breasts. I sometimes add sun-dried tomatoes or chopped spinach to the mix, depending on what I’ve got. Pop it in the oven and you’ve got dinner that tastes far fancier than the effort involved.
If I’m making pizza at home, I often ditch the tomato base and use pesto instead. It gives the pizza a completely different vibe – fresh, herby, and perfect with toppings like mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and rocket. And when I’m making a salad but can’t quite face another vinaigrette, I’ll toss a spoonful of pesto through the leaves instead. It clings beautifully and brings the whole thing to life.
The Origins of Pesto alla Genovese
Like many great recipes, Basil Pesto has humble beginnings. It comes from Genoa, the capital of Liguria in northern Italy, and has been gracing Italian kitchens for centuries. Originally made with a mortar and pestle (hence the name), pesto was a way of preserving herbs with oil, cheese, and nuts. And honestly, they were onto something.
At its heart, this pesto is a celebration of fresh basil. That’s what gives it the vibrant green colour and unmistakable aroma. Garlic brings the heat, while pine nuts add a buttery richness. Parmigiano Reggiano gives it that salty, savoury depth, and of course, extra virgin olive oil brings it all together into a silky emulsion.
Over the years, I’ve tried all sorts of pestos – from coriander and walnut, to rocket and almond – and they’re all great in their own right. But there’s something about the original that keeps me coming back. It’s bright, punchy, and exactly what I want when I’m tired, hungry, and craving something that tastes like summer in a jar.
Ingredient breakdown
Fresh basil
Fresh basil is the entire point of this pesto and there is no substitution, no workaround, and no version of this recipe that works without it. You want the most fragrant, bright green leaves you can find. Avoid anything wilted, yellowing, or starting to turn black at the edges because damaged basil turns the pesto brown and tastes flat. Basil oxidises quickly once it’s cut or blitzed, which is why you add the olive oil in a slow stream while the processor is running rather than dumping it all in at once. The emulsification process helps preserve that vivid green colour and keeps the pesto looking as good as it tastes.
Garlic
Two cloves of raw minced garlic, which is classic Genovese territory. The garlic here should be present but not dominant. If you find raw garlic too sharp or you’re sensitive to it, drop back to one clove or blanch the cloves briefly in boiling water first to take the edge off. The traditional mortar and pestle method actually produces a slightly milder garlic flavour because you’re bruising rather than cutting the cell walls, but two cloves in a food processor is still well within the bounds of what a classic pesto should taste like.
Pine nuts
Toasted pine nuts, and the toasting step is not optional. Two to three minutes in a dry pan over medium heat until golden transforms them from bland and slightly waxy to buttery and fragrant. They add richness and a subtle sweetness that balances the basil and garlic without competing with either. Keep a close eye on them because the margin between perfectly golden and burnt is very narrow and there is no saving a batch of scorched pine nuts.
Extra virgin olive oil
The olive oil goes in last, drizzled in slowly while the processor is running rather than added all at once. This is what emulsifies the pesto and creates that thick, creamy, cohesive texture rather than a greasy, separated mess. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil because it is a primary flavour in this recipe and a bland or bitter oil will affect the end result noticeably. If the pesto comes out thicker than you’d like, a tablespoon of warm pasta water loosens it without diluting the flavour.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano adds the salty, savoury depth that anchors the whole pesto. The traditional Genovese recipe actually uses a combination of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, and if you want to go fully authentic it’s worth trying that mix because the Pecorino adds a sharpness and complexity that all-Parmigiano doesn’t quite replicate. That said, all Parmigiano is what most people have at home and it makes a genuinely excellent pesto on its own.
Serve this with
- Drizzled over grilled vegetables or roasted chicken as a fresh, fragrant finishing sauce.
- Tossed through hot trofie or trenette pasta with a splash of pasta water to help the pesto coat every piece properly.
- Spread generously on bruschetta or stirred through a bowl of minestrone right before serving.
