Basil Pesto

Notes on Ingredients

Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need to make this recipe, along with my notes. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Basil – Different varieties of basil will give your pesto different flavours, but I usually stick with Genovese basil, which I grow in my garden!
• Walnuts – Or pine nuts if you want a more traditional basil pesto.
• Vegan Parmesan cheese – You can use homemade vegan Parmesan cheese or store-bought.
• Garlic
• Lemon juice – Sometimes I use lime juice instead.
• Coarse salt and pepper
• Olive oil

How to Make Basil Pesto

Making pesto is so easy there are only 3 steps!

• Combine. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor.
• Blend. Process until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.
• Serve or store. Use the pesto right away or transfer it to a jar and refrigerate for later. 

Tips for Success

• Keep your pesto bright green. As with other greens, you can blanch the basil by bringing a pot of water to a boil, dunking the basil in for a few seconds until it turns bright green, then transferring the basil to an ice bath to shock it. Dry it well, then add it your pesto. 
• Scrape down the sides of the food processor. You’ll likely need to pause at some point to scrape the sides down to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. Otherwise, you’ll have large bits of walnuts, garlic, and basil leaves in your pesto.
• Don’t overdo it. Pesto is a concentrated sauce. As such, a little goes a long way. I always start with a smaller amount, like 3 to 4 tablespoons in this zucchini noodles recipe, which serves two people. From there you can add more as you like without over-saturating the dish.

Variations

• Try another nut or seed. You can make this basil pesto recipe with cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, and even hemp seeds. Each will give the pesto a slightly different flavour.
• Swap in roasted garlic. For a more mellow garlic flavour, try using roasted garlic instead of raw.
• Add some heat. For a spicy twist, add in some red pepper flakes.

How to Use Basil Pesto

My ultimate favourite way to use pesto is on a pesto pizza, although I’ll never turn down pesto in a pasta dish either (try this vegan pesto pasta or hearts of palm pasta with pesto). Here are some other ideas for using your homemade basil pesto:

• Spread on a sandwich or wrap instead of mayo or mustard.
• Use as a marinade for tofu or vegetables.
• Mix into a tofu scramble for a flavourful breakfast.
• Stir into a vinaigrette to make a pesto salad dressing.
• Make a batch of pesto pinwheels for a party.

How to Store

• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or jar for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze basil by storing in a ice cube tray, freezing it until solid, and then popping it out and storing it in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the pesto itself in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

More Easy Sauce Recipes

• Arrabbiata Sauce
• Scotch Bonnet Pepper Hot Sauce
• Homemade Tomato Sauce
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Tartar Sauce

Enjoy friends! If you make this basil pesto recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!