Fresh basil, delicious olive oil and a salty parmesan cheese make this Basil Pesto the only pesto recipe you need! It's so simple to make and better than any pesto you can find on the grocery store shelves. While you can put this on sandwiches, mix it in with pasta, or spread it on a crusty piece of bread, you may find that it's so good you could eat it with a spoon! Seriously, its that good!
This recipe comes from my mom who has made this exact pesto recipe for many years. Lucky for me, she has always had a very abundant garden. If she isn't making pesto and sharing it with me throughout the summer, then I'm picking her basil and making it myself! I've tried buying pesto in a jar and making other recipes, but this is, by far, the best! This is a no-fail recipe as it turns out so good everytime we make it.
This can be made and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about a week. If your home is anything like ours, you shouldn't have any left after a week though! There are so many ways you can eat this pesto. Our favorite is to add it to warm pasta or spread on panini sandwiches.
Ingredients Needed
- Olive oil - Be sure to use an olive oil that tastes good. You can usually get some pretty good olive oil at the grocery store when you don't buy the cheapest! I like to aim for something in the mid-range. Not too cheap and not too expensive either!
- Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves are best, but jarred garlic works great too!
- Pine nuts
- Salt
- Basil - Fresh from the garden is best, but however you get your hands on some basil is perfectly fine!
- Parmesan cheese - We always use this grated parm and I think it's the best for this pesto. Any good parmesan will be good though!
How to Make Basil Pesto
In the bowl of your food processor, add the olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and salt. Process on high while slowly adding the basil, a little at a time, until well mixed and smooth. Scrape the sides as needed. Add the cheese and process on high until well blended. If the pesto is too thick, add olive oil and continue to process until it is the desired consistency. I don't usually add extra olive oil because I don't mind when it is on the thicker side.
That's it! So simple and amazingly delicious!
FAQ
- Do I have to use a food processor? No! You can make this in a blender if you don't have a food processor.
Recipe
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups basil leaves, firmly packed
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add oil, garlic, pine nuts and salt. Process on high until smooth.
- Add basil, a little at a time, and process on high until smooth, scraping the sides of bowl as needed.
- Add parmesan cheese and continue to process on high until well blended.
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Jean Davis
I love this pesto and have been known to eat it by the spoonful!