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homemade basil pesto in a dish with a spoon

Basil Pesto Recipe

5 from 5 votes
This homemade basil pesto is a deliciously versatile condiment made from a handful of simple ingredients. It comes together in minutes and its so much better than store bought.
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Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 1 cup
Author: Molly Thompson

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil plus more as needed
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Add the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan cheese to a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth with some chunks left, about 1 minute.
    ½ cup toasted pine nuts, Juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, Black pepper to taste, 1/3 cup quality extra-virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
    parmesan, olive oil, garlic, and lemon mixed in a blender
  • Add the fresh basil and blend again, 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. You can add up to 2 Tablespoons more of olive oil for a thinner pesto sauce.
    2 cups basil leaves
    homemade basil pesto in a blender
  • Store leftover basil in a jar and drizzle olive oil on top to prevent it from turning brown. Pesto stays fresh for up to 2 weeks. Freeze the jar for up to 6 months or freeze in ice cube trays for individual servings. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Recipe Equipment

Food processor or high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix ONE)

Notes

Toasted Pine Nuts: You can purchase toasted pine nuts or buy raw and toast them in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes.
Nutrition information: Search "What Molly Made basil pesto" in My Fitness Pal to add and track this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 146mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @What_mollymade or tag #WhatMollyMade so I can see it and feature you!