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.
Just made a version of your pesto for lunch. Though I wasn’t “faithful” to the recipe, using roasted pistachios , almonds and walnuts, it is a winner!
, it’s a winner!
Absolutely delicious!
My wife didn’t notice the name of your site is Love and Lemons before she made this recipe. If you like a lemon forward pesto then this recipe is for you. Personally 1 teaspoon of lemon juice instead of 2 tablespoons makes the pesto we were hoping for.
I agree,too much lemon, but maybe 1 tbs would be ok.
Hi! How long does the pesto last until it’s “expired?”
You can freeze it! I put mine in ice cube trays and cover the top of each cube with a little olive oil so that it doesn’t dry out. Just pop out as many cubes as you need! Mine has lasted up to 6 months! I’ve used roasted pecans (I make them during the holidays and also freeze them) and pistachios, as I don’t care much for pine nuts. Comes out delicious every time!
I’m using garlic scapes instead of cloves…what do you think propotion-wise? About triple? Though really, my opinion is the more the better haha.
Hi Lex, 3 to 5 days
Oh my goodness!!! This pesto is so amazing!!! Thank you so much! I didn’t change a thing, and I did include the parm! It’s perfectly delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Could I use a blender if I don’t have a food processor?
Hi Lane, yep! This recipe will work in a blender too, though you may need a bit more oil to get it to come together.
Any time I need a sauce recipe, I come to Love & Lemons. No matter what, you have the recipe I need and it’s always perfect!!!
I did toasted walnuts instead of pine nuts, added salt after it was blended, but I followed everything else to the letter and the pesto came out so perfectly. Nice and bright with a bit of creaminess from the cheese and a little bite from the garlic and olive oil. I’m making pizza with it this week.
Thank you for another fabulous recipe.
Ha ha, I’m so glad you’ve been loving the sauce recipes!
Quick, easy and delicious!
This is my go-to pesto recipe, it never fails me! We are garlic lovers, so I usually double the garlic. I always add the parm. Thanks for a great and straight-forward recipe.
p.s. the full recipe makes 1c almost exactly if you follow the recipe as written. It is very easy to halve.
I’m so glad you’ve been loving it!
I think pesto uses a lot of basil. It says 2 cups. Is that loose or smooshed? I have grown 3 basil plants for this recipe…will it be enough?
Hi Kirsten, 2 packed cups, smooshed just a bit to measure.
Are you able to can pesto for later use?
Yes you are able to can the pesto..The work with the sterilizing of jars boiling everything I have plenty of room between my three freezes and I measure out what I would normally put in an average recipe and freeze it in top loading small snack bags. Can only find the little bags at Dollar tree where I live.
I would be sure not to leave out the Parm. It does complete the sauce. You really nailed this recipe!
I’m glad you loved it!
Delicious! I subbed toasted walnuts for the pine nuts, doubled the garlic and added red pepper flakes. Such an easy recipe!
So glad you loved it, Patty!
This was my first time making pesto and it was DELICIOUS! I did add 1 more clove of garlic because you can never have too much. Will definitely be making it again!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Fabulous pesto recipe! Thankyou!
Hi Vickie, so glad you loved it!
Delicious pesto recipe. I freeze it to use later. Tastes great fresh and later after being frozen.
Hi Donna, so glad you love the recipe!
WOW – this is an amazing recipe. TY sooooo much for posting. I’ve tried several others and NOTHING comes close to this one. Yummmmmmers.
I even substituted the 2 main ingredients because I didn’t have them – basil leaves and pine nuts. Instead I used spinach leaves and cashews. I know it’s not the same… but it was still amazing. TY TY TY
Hi Jo, so glad you loved it!
Delicious! & simple. Enjoyed substituting arugula, cilantro and kale fresh from local farmers market for 1 cup of basil, walnuts for 1/2 of pine nuts. Love this on salads and veggie sticks!
Hi Kathy, I’m so glad you loved the pesto! That variation sounds delicious.
For the record, I think this blog is deleting comments they don’t like. I made one recently about this recipe not working, and it is mysteriously gone now. So, I’ll say it again – this recipe is a complete FAILURE!
Unsure what you made but I just made this and it’s delicious and easy.
Maybe it reflects all aspects of your life? Easiest recipe, traditional and works!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it comes out perfectly. Maybe try it again
Same.. I just made it and loved it. I was browsing through comments and saw this. Even if the author really deleted it, this recipe still stands strong
Mine was great. Was ur badil fresh or had it started to seed? That could make the basil bitter….
My go-to summer staple! Great on salads, pasta, potatoes and roasted veggies. Perfect sandwich spread or grilled salmon topper… you name it!
Hi Carri, I’m so glad you love the pesto!