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Turn your summer basil bumper crop into Basil Pesto and freeze it for colder days ahead. It’s easy to make and ready in 10 minutes or less.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Parsley: A handful of fresh parsley ensures that your pesto is always bright green (basil can dark when it gets bruised).
- Pine nuts: For more flavor, toast the pine nuts. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat pine nuts until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- Garlic: Soften its raw taste by roasting garlic. In a dry medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast unpeeled garlic cloves until spotty, dark brown, and slightly softened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before peeling.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add basil, parsley, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cup of pesto, enough for 1 pound of pasta.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.
- Freezer: Pour into a jar and float a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation. Leave enough space at the top of the jar for expansion, then freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- More nuts: Substitute an equal amount of almonds, pecans, cashews, or hazelnuts. Or try my basil walnut pesto.
- Spicy: Add ¼ teaspoon or more crushed red pepper flakes to the food processor before blending.
- Kale pesto: Omit the parsley, decrease the basil to 1 cup, and add 2 cups packed kale leaves.
- Pesto roasted chicken: Rub pesto under and on the skin of your next whole bird, then roast to perfection.
- Pesto cheese bread: Slice a loaf of bread in half lengthwise, then spread a thick layer of pesto over each side. Top with cheese, then finish in the oven or on the grill.
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Basil Pesto
Turn your summer basil bumper crop into Basil Pesto and freeze it for colder days ahead. It's easy to make and ready in 10 minutes or less.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- 1 cup fresh parsley packed (see note 1)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 cup pine nuts (see note 2)
- 3 cloves garlic (see note 3)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add basil, parsley, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses.
- With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Parsley: A handful of fresh parsley ensures that your pesto is always bright green (basil can dark when it gets bruised).
- Pine nuts: For more flavor, toast the pine nuts. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat pine nuts until browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 5 minutes.
- Garlic: Soften its raw taste by roasting garlic. In a dry medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast unpeeled garlic cloves until spotty, dark brown, and slightly softened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before peeling.
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cup of pesto, enough for 1 pound of pasta.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.
- Freezer: Pour into a jar and float a layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation. Leave enough space at the top of the jar for expansion, then freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- More nuts: Substitute an equal amount of almonds, pecans, cashews, or hazelnuts. Or try my basil walnut pesto.
- Spicy: Add ¼ teaspoon or more crushed red pepper flakes to the food processor before blending.
- Kale pesto: Omit the parsley, decrease the basil to 1 cup, and add 2 cups packed kale leaves.
- Pesto roasted chicken: Rub pesto under and on the skin of your next whole bird, then roast to perfection.
- Pesto cheese bread: Slice a loaf of bread in half lengthwise, then spread a thick layer of pesto over each side. Top with cheese, then finish in the oven or on the grill.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tbspCalories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 2gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 974IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
