Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Try these easy, fun pesto recipe variations to brighten pasta, salads, roasted veggies & more!
One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are just outside my doorstep. Fresh herbs make any meal instantly more flavorful and beautiful. My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It’s especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea. With just a few easy steps, it makes anything an instant tasty meal, whether you feel like cooking or not.
What is pesto, and how do I make it?
Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps:
- Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they’re finely chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse again.
- Next, drizzle in the olive oil with the food processor blade still running.
- Finally, add grated Parmesan cheese and process briefly until combined. For vegan pesto, simply skip the cheese.
That’s it! It’s really simple to make, and it’s easy to vary according to the season or your mood. It will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, though its surface may start turning brown. As a result, it’s best to cover your pesto with a thin layer of plastic wrap or an extra drizzle of oil before sealing your container. This will keep it fresh and green!
Pesto Recipe Variations
Once you’ve made the classic basil pesto recipe, try changing it up! You can make delicious variations with all sorts of nuts, seeds, veggies, and leafy greens. Here are some of my favorites:
- Swap out the pine nuts for any nut of your choice! I particularly like walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
- Make nut-free pesto by using pepitas or hemp seeds.
- Use a different herb. Try replacing the basil with mint, cilantro, or parsley!
- Or fewer herbs. Replace half the basil with 1 cup arugula, kale, or chopped zucchini. For a punchier twist, pulse in 4 artichoke hearts, a roasted red pepper, or half an avocado instead of half the basil.
- Don’t let your veggie stems go to waste. Blanch 1/2 cup kale stems and blend them into pesto in place of half the basil.
- Punch up the flavor! Add 2 to 4 sun dried tomatoes, a charred jalapeño, nutritional yeast, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
The possibilities are endless – let me know if you have a favorite variation!
I made pesto! Now what do I do with it?
The obvious choice is tossing pesto with pasta, but your options don’t end there. Spoon it over a Caprese salad, top it onto a grain bowl, scoop it onto spaghetti squash or mac and cheese, or incorporate it into this yummy zucchini casserole. We love it on polenta and homemade pizza, too. It’s even great on scrambled eggs! Do you have a favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments!
Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor (I swear by my Cuisinart one for a smooth consistency!)
Ingredients
Basic Basil Pesto:
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for a smoother pesto
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
I used 1/2 carrot tops and 1/2 basil, and subbed nutritional yeast for the parmesan–delish–thank you for a great easy recipe!
So resourceful! I love using carrot tops.
Used almonds because I didn’t have pine nuts. A savory pesto I used to add to sourdough for a tomato pesto bread. Delish!
I’m so glad you loved it!
What a lovely way to save my basil plants before the frost comes. It made a lovely meal and I look forward to the opportunity I have to make more tucked away in the freezer. Thanks for sharing.
So good I can eat it by itself. I added a bit more salt.
Absolutely delicious pesto! Other than cutting the EVOO a bit, I didn’t change a thing. Thank you, for this perfect recipe!
Yum!
This is my first EVER diy pesto, and it is sooooooo tasty and refreshing!!!
I will look no further!
How many grams is 2 cups of basil? I never know if it’s supposed to be loose or if I need to press it down. I’d appreciate the quantity in grams to make sure I have just the right amount.
I too would love an answer to this.
Google says 2 cups equal 431 grams.
Excellent. Just leave the pine nuts whole and add at the end without blending them in the food processor.
I find that it doesn’t matter how you pack it, the pesto always turns out good.
I love making this now that I have plenty of basil in my garden. The kids and I like it on almond crackers with half a cherry tomato on top. May have to bring that out as an appetizer at Christmas if i can freeze enough to last that long.
Hi! Would this recipe freeze well? Already made it and LOVED it, but we have a ton of basil to use up from our garden so I wanted to make an extra batch.
Hi Karen, yep, it freezes well!
I make it and freeze it in ice cube trays, then store it in a freezer bag. Just pull out 1 cube per serving when needed.
Would this work with steak?
Hi Mel, yes, it would.
This recipe was fantastic! I didn’t have pine nuts so I used cashews and I couldn’t tell much of a difference (except a light cashew flavor). Also, I used frozen basil I’d been saving up from the garden– no noticeable difference compared to when I’d made pesto before. Definitely using this recipe again
Hi Amber, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
How much basil?
2 cups, the recipe card with measurements is at the bottom of the post.
Easy, delicious and never fail even for a beginner!
I’m so glad you loved it!
So delicious! I usally slather pesto on warmed leftover garlic bread and top with tomatoes! Party in your mouth! Also tossed with fried potatoes for brunch. Thank you for sharing.
that garlic bread sounds like perfection!
First time making Pesto ,very easy and taste great!
This is a great recipe to use up all the fresh basil Ive been growing. I love spreading this on a slice of freah sourdough with a slice of tomato from the garden.
Delicious, well done!
So funny, I just made this recipe and just made my sourdough toast with fresh made pesto and garden tomatoes. Popped under broiler for a minute! Delicious! Synchronicity with you Katie!
I tried this recipe today and turned out amazing! I pan roasted pine nuts, almonds, walnuts and garlic before putting them in the processor which brought out extra flavour in the pesto!
Just made this pesto and it’s delicious. I’ll be making it again.
Simply fantastic. I have a ton of basil this year so bought some pine nuts from Sam’s Club and made this. Going to make more batches to freeze.