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.
Can I use any other cheese like Gouda or cheddar cheese in my pesto In substitute for permasan cheese
Hi, I would use Pecorino cheese or skip the cheese, but I wouldn’t use gouda or cheddar.
Best basic basil pesto recipe I’ve tried.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is so delicious!
I thought one garlic clove would not be enough for me, but it’s plenty garlicy!
I had frozen spinach that I needed to use, and my store doesn’t carry lots of basil, so I replaced the basil with the thawed spinach, and it was so yummy, and I’m very picky about my pesto. And I eyeballed all the measurements.
Highly recommend, thanks for the recipe.
Hi Sara, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the recipe, just the basics and with clear quantities. Pesto is delicious, but the stuff you buy is usually made cheaply out of nuts that aren’t pine nuts (e.g. cashews), sometimes they will even skimp on basil and add or even replace with spinach. Yuk, commercial food made the cheapest, nastiest way. Pesto is so simple to make, it’s not worth buying the trash!
Just a note on alternate recipes: most use far less pinenuts (as in a quarter of the 1/2 cup here), the pinenuts are not normally toasted (just an extra, unnecessary step), and a bit less garlic (which can get overpowering and make it a bit bitter when over-used, as great as it is).
These are all just differences of a delicious dish, but using less pinenuts is the more standard Italian way. All work well though!
What does a packed cup of basil mean? Loosely or tightly packed?
Thanks!
Hi James, it means somewhat tightly packed (not loose packed).
I added at least a half a cup of olive oil. Delicious! I’m going to freeze some so I will have it on hand. I used toasted. Walnuts as pinenuts are extremely expensive.
Hi Sharon, so glad you enjoyed the pesto!
Oh my goodness! This is divine! I did use decadent pine nuts as when I used macadamia nuts with another recipe it wasn’t great.
Hi Gina, I’m so glad you loved the pesto!
It starts out bitter however after 24 hours it’s delicious!
Perfect!!
Hi Ann, so glad you loved it!
Hi, I’ve had this happen occasionally with certain brands of olive oil. I’ve found that adding more cheese or nutritional yeast helps balance the flavor.
This looks great! I’ll start adding this to my chilled, whole grain penne as part of my lunch each day. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is simple & delicious, I have already made it several times in the past few weeks since finding it. I have used other types of nuts (hazelnuts, cashews) and the pesto still turned out great! I only added about half of the olive oil from the recipe too.
This sauce was delicious! The only change was that I added a bit more olive oil. Much better than the pre-made stuff! This will now be in regular rotation in my household.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I use half lurpak butter, half olive oil. Lasts for weeks and can be used on pesto bread.s, pizza bases, everything!! Delicious!
I made this and it’s wonderful but I have a couple questions for clarification. 1) When I pulsed the pine nuts and other items it became more of a paste is that right? And 2) when you say 2 cups basil is that 2 cups weighed or two measuring cups full? I did the measuring cups and was great but I felt like it could use a bit more basil so I’m curious. All in all a fantastic recipe!!!
Hi Patrick, when you pulse the nuts, I stop before they become a paste, just so they’re well chopped up. We use 2 packed measuring cups, which can be awkward to try to measure, so if you feel like you’d like more basil, go for it! I’m so glad you enjoyed.
Hi! Might be a silly question but do I toast the pine nuts myself or do they usually come already toasted? Thank you!
The recipe actually says “toasted pine nuts”
Hi Marissa, I toast them lightly in a skillet before adding (or sometimes I just skip toasting altogether).
Hi Louise, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe was a helpful guide for me. I made this vegan using the “Follow your heart” brand vegan parm. I used garlic-infused olive oil and had to add a bit more than what the recipe stated to make it smoother. You can also use minced garlic in a jar to save time. It’s fantastic and great in Kale salads.
How long does it keep when refrigerated?
Not long: perhaps a week – it will go brown as it oxidises and gets bitter, although the lemon juice in the recipe helps. Note: you can freeze successfully for months it e.g. in an icecube tray for single serves!
So yummy!!!!
Definitely recommend this recipe!!
I added a dash of water just to smooth it out but that’s just my personal preference, but still tastes yummy!!! ?
Made this several times. Super delicious and easy.
Thank you for sharing!