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Garden Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe
The perfect condiment, dipping sauce or sandwich spread
Basil Pesto is perfect tossed with hot pasta, spread on a sandwich or slice of crusty bread, or dolloped on grilled chicken or fish. There are so many ways to use it, and each one delicious!
For many years I featured recipes with our home-grown garden vegetables and herbs as the stars. These “garden-to-table” posts have been few this year as we were late getting the garden planted, and then came the heat.  However, we have enjoyed a great deal of yellow squash and cucumbers and a very prolific basil plant!
I’ve made pesto and featured it in several recipes on the blog but never gave it a well deserved post of it’s own. If you’ve never made your own basil pesto, don’t wait another minute!
Ingredients Overview
- fresh garlic
- salt
- black pepper
- fresh basil leaves
- pine nuts or walnuts
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
How to make pesto
Pesto is one of the easiest things in the world to make. There’s no cooking, baking, boiling or frying required. All you need is a food processor and a few fresh ingredients.
If you don’t have a food processor you can muddle the ingredients together with a mortar and pestle.
- First, add the garlic, salt, pepper, basil and nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well blended and pasty.
- Scrape down the sides with a spatula and pulse again. Add the fresh grated Parmesan cheese and pulse until blended.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the chute and process until smooth.
- Taste and check the seasoning and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Use the pesto immediately or store properly
Pesto can be used immediately by adding to hot cooked pasta, dolloped over grilled chicken or fish or smeared on a slice of crusty bread or a sandwich.
If storing for later use, press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to seal out any air bubbles. Pesto will turn dark if left exposed to air.
How to freeze pesto
Homemade basil pesto can be frozen in small batches before adding the cheese. Line an ice cube tray with plastic wrap. Dollop tablespoons of the pesto into the ice cube tray. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of each then freeze. Once frozen, store the basil pesto cubes in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
Add pesto cubes to soups and pasta or any of your favorite sauces.
If using as a dip, allow the pesto to thaw then add grated Parmesan cheese.
Amazing, wonderful, fragrant, full bodied homemade pesto, fresh from the garden!
One of our favorite ways to use this luscious sauce is in our Chicken Pesto Pasta dish. This hearty and satisfying meal is packed with flavor.
We also never get tired of our Basil Pesto Cream with Tortellini. This fantastic dish can be on the table in under 30 minutes. It’s great as a light main course or side dish served with grilled meats.
Over the years this recipe has evolved as I changed the ingredients slightly and tweaked the measurements here and there. This is without a doubt, my favorite to date!
Thanks for PINNING!
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 large cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, basil and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Scrape the sides with a spatula and pulse again. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until mixed. With the processor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil through the chute and process until smooth.
- Check the seasonings and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Use immediately or put in a small bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap on the top to seal out any air bubbles. The pesto will turn dark if left exposed to air.
Recipe Notes
- Before adding the cheese, pesto can be frozen in small batches (use a plastic wrap lined ice cube tray). Store the frozen pesto cubes in an airtight container until ready to use. Add the basil pesto "cubes" to soups and pasta or any of your favorite sauces.
Nutrition
Here are a few other recipes you can enjoy with Pesto
Grilled Cheese with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pesto
Grilled Pesto Pizza with Arugula and Feta
This year we moved our basil from our garden to a large pot on the deck. It has thrived on the deck and I’m thrilled!
Did you know basil is a natural mosquito repellant? Bonus! Basil is a beautiful plant that needs to be pruned often to prevent it from flowering. If flowers develop the plant will stop producing leaves.
Even if you don’t plan to use the clippings, bring them inside and place in a jar of water to enjoy the lovely fragrance.
Gerlinde
Pesto is such a great condiment to have in your fridge especially when the basil is homegrown .
Tricia Buice
Pesto tastes so fresh and bright and I love the bold salty flavor – just can’t get enough!
Mandy
Can’t wait to have enough basil in the garden to make a pesto.
Have a wonderful weekend Tricia.
🙂 Mandy xo
Tricia Buice
Spring should be coming soon for you Mandy – bet you are getting excited. You always have the prettiest garden 🙂 Happy weekend!
Katherine | Omnivore's Cookbook
I am totally with you using this on everything! Amazing how this gem came from your very own garden, too.
Tricia Buice
Thank you Katherine 🙂 Pesto is an amazing and simple spread – we just love it!
Monica
I love your garden to table posts and this is yet another vibrant addition. I have never made my own pesto (I say, with my head bowed down…) and I would love to if only I could manage to make my basil plants thrive. I may just have to go to the farmer’s market and get some help in making my pesto happen. I can practically smell your lovely basil. And so many great uses for it, for sure!
Tricia Buice
Thank you Monica! Basil has been hard for me too until this year. It is so happy on the Deck in a large clay pot. I used plenty of compost and organic dirt with rocks for drainage at the bottom. I water it almost daily. It loves the sun but was never happy on the ground. Hope you’ll try again next year! Have a lovely weekend.
Carolyn
What is “really good” parm cheese and olive oil? Can u share what r ur favorites?!
Tricia Buice
Hi Carolyn – I would only use fresh grated Parmesan – not the kind that comes in the green can or pre-grated in a ziplock bag. You can pick up imported Parmesan from the cheese shop section of your local store. Good Parmesan has a nice salty bite that makes all the difference. I also like an imported olive oil – and use Wegman’s brand from our local store. Wegman’s grocery stores are only in the northeast US – but in any store you can find a “better” imported brand of olive oil. I also love The Florida Olive Oil company and stock up on their EVOO each time we visit. They have a website http://www.floridaoliveoil.com – and they ship anywhere. Their balsamic vinegar is good enough to eat by the spoon. Thanks so much for commenting! I hope this helps!
Shelly
Would like to freeze. Inst say not to add cheese before freezing and then add frozen cubes to whatever. So the cheese is never added if frozen?
Tricia Buice
Sorry that was so confusing Shelly. If you want to use the pesto for other things like adding it to soups, etc. you can freeze it without cheese in an ice cube tray lined with plastic wrap. If you don’t intend to use it in small amounts, you can freeze a larger container or bag, then thaw when ready to use and add the cheese then. If you freeze it in a container, you can drizzle olive oil on top to help keep the pesto from turning dark when it is exposed to air. Fresh is always best but if you have a lot of basil and don’t want to waste it – this is a great way to make it last throughout the year. Hope this helps. Thanks so much for reading and asking such a great question!
Shelly
Thank you, anxious to try!
Chris Scheuer
Your pesto is such a beautiful vibrant color. It will be so fun to pull out and enjoy when the cold winds blow too. Love your pictures, such a nice clear tutorial!
Tricia Buice
Thank you very much Chris! Hope your basil is doing great too!
cheri
Our weather has been so crazy this year, we have a few very warm days and then cloudy and cold. For this reason I have been able to grow cherry tomatoes and basil, usually it is not warm enough. Love, love your garden to table series. You should write a cookbook!
Hope you are having a great week Tricia!
Tricia Buice
You are so sweet Cheri – your garden is way better than mine – we just didn’t get it all in this year. I love the greens and lettuce and was thinking about garlic this year. Have you ever tried it?
Monique
As I was scrolling and reading..a voice came up..Never underestimate the power of Energizer..they must mean you:)
I made some too..so good!!
Yours is picture perfect though:)
Tricia Buice
Awww thank you Monique 🙂
John/Kitchen Riffs
Love pesto! And haven’t made any this year. And we’ve got a LOT of basil at the moment. Hmmm . . . Thanks for a terrific post — and for giving me my next cooking project!
Tricia Buice
Hope you enjoy the pesto John! Basil will be gone before we know it. Have a wonderful week!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
I made a batch of pesto yesterday too, but with a mix of herbs. my basil plants don’t do very well this year..yours looks really gorgeous, Tricia.
Tricia Buice
The mix of herbs sounds great Angie – hope you share your recipe! Have a wonderful week and thanks so much for commenting!
Jennifer
I grow basil year-round inside on my window sill so I’m always ready for pesto. Yours is perfect. Such a great addition to so many dishes!
Tricia Buice
You are right Jennifer – pesto is a terrific sauce on just about anything. Our grocery store sells live basil plants so I usually pick one up and I can get it to last several weeks or even a month. I love having fresh herbs year round!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners
I’ve been looking at my basil plants all day, Tricia, and wondering what kind of pesto I would make with them. Mine are flowering because they’re so happy with these recent rains. I also thought a slow roasted tomato pesto would be fun. So many recipe ideas, so little time!
I will make this recipe first because it looks so gorgeous. Thanks!
Tricia Buice
The tomato pesto sounds great. I’ve done a red pepper pesto that was also wonderful. You are right … so many recipes! Have a wonderful day 🙂
sue | theviewfromgreatisland
Basil pesto is probably the most amazing sauce ever invented, and when it’s fresh from the garden, wow. Yours is such a vibrant green!
Tricia Buice
I agree Sue – I dream of ways to use this delicious sauce. Have a wonderful day!