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This Fresh Basil Pesto is as bright and delicious as it gets. Try it on pasta, in a sandwich, or simply with a loaf of crusty bread. 

Small bowl of basil pesto surrounded by slices of baguette

‘Tis the season for planting our little garden around here. I usually kill everything – except mint, that stuff grows out of concrete! – but I still try for a small garden every year.

This year we have some tomatoes, cilantro, and basil. I always plant basil, even though the bugs usually get to it and the leaves end up full of holes. Not very pretty, but perfect for using for pesto.

Elle had never tried pesto before, but since she loves pasta I grabbed a fresh basil plant at Meijer (while we wait for ours in the garden to grow) and whipped up a batch of this homemade Fresh Basil Pesto for an easy pasta dinner.

WHAT IS BASIL PESTO?

Pesto – sometimes called pesto alla genovese – originated in Genoa, Italy. The traditional version of pesto uses a few simple ingredients:

  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Garlic
  • Pine nuts
  • Parmesan cheese or another hard cheese such as pecorino
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
Fresh basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor

You can find recipes for all sorts of different types of pesto that replace the basil with other herbs or greens or the pine nuts with other nuts, such as arugula pesto or basil and walnut pesto. But the basil and pine nut combo is a classic for a reason.

Basil is super fresh and bright. Paired with salty parmesan, buttery pine nuts, and earthy olive oil, it makes for such a perfect sauce.

Ingredients for fresh basil pesto in the bowl of a food processor

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY PESTO

Fresh Basil Pesto is one of the easiest sauces you can possibly make. You don’t even cook it!

Grab your trust food processor or blender and add the basil leaves and a couple tablespoons of the olive oil. Blend this until a paste forms.

Add in the pine nuts, cheese, garlic, and the rest of the oil and pulse until it is smooth.

Give the pesto a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Your pesto is ready to use or store for later!

Spatula stirring basil pesto in the bowl of a food processor

HOW TO USE FRESH BASIL PESTO

There are so many ways you can use your homemade pesto!

Of course you can toss it with freshly cooked pasta. Simply toss as much pesto as you like with the hot pasta and a bit of the pasta cooking water. You can even add in some grilled shrimp or any veggies you like.

Shallow white bowl filled with fresh basil pesto

You can even use this Fresh Basil Pesto in my Creamy Pesto Pasta with Shrimp!

Pesto also makes for a great spread on sandwiches, sauce on homemade pizza (try using 30-minute pizza crust!), or as a topping for roasted vegetables.

Or try serving it alongside Extra Virgin Olive Oil Dip with a loaf of crusty bread. It’s one of my favorite dips for fresh baguette!

Fresh basil pesto spread on top of a slice of baguette

CAN PESTO BE FROZEN?

Want to store your homemade pesto for later?

It’ll keep well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. But I love freezing pesto for longer-term storage!

Glass jar filled with basil pesto on a cutting board

Pop your fresh pesto into the freezer-safe container of your choice and freeze for up to 3 months. You can even freeze it in an ice cube tray; just pop the cubes out once they’re frozen solid and store them in a zip-top freezer bag. Then you can take out and thaw as much or as little as you need! 

Having this pesto recipe up your sleeve will come in handy any time you find yourself with an excess of fresh basil.

Overhead view of slices of baguette and a bowl of basil pesto on a marble serving board
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Fresh Basil Pesto

By: Jamie Lothridge
4.45 from 9 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 12
This Fresh Basil Pesto is as bright and delicious as it gets. Try it on pasta, in a sandwich, or simply with a loaf of crusty bread. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups packed fresh basil
  • cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup pine nuts toasted until golden and cooled
  • cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • In a food processor or blender, combine basil and about 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, blend into a paste. Add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • Makes about 1 ½ cups.
  • Basil Pesto can be made up to three days in advance. Refrigerate it in a sealed container.
  • If you cannot find pine nuts, you can substitute them with a variety of other items such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios.
  • If you prefer your basil pesto to be a little thinner, simply drizzle in more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.
  • If you are unsure how to toast the pine nuts, check out this guide on How to Toast Nuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 170kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 126mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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47 Comments

  1. KaTrina says:

    It will keep MUCH longer than that in the fridge as long as there is a layer of olive oil on top.

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks for the tip, Katrina!

  2. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says:

    This sounds amazing! I love trying new pesto recipes. Thanks!

  3. Ann says:

    I love home-made pesto – there is nothing like it. Your pictures are amazing!

    1. Jamie says:

      Ann-
      You are so sweet, thank you so much!
      -Jamie

  4. Maureen says:

    I love it when I’m not the only one who does things like this. The pesto looks amazing.

  5. cindy says:

    Did you know you can freeze basil pesto?!? Just put it into a freezer container that has a lid, add a thin layer of olive oil on the top, put it in your freezer… Freezes wonderfully, and when you thaw it in the winter, you will love yourself all over again for making it up!

    1. Jamie says:

      Great tip, Cindy! Thanks for sharing.

    2. Maria says:

      The only thing to remember when freezing pesto is that you should leave the cheese out until you’re ready to use and have defrosted. Cheese shouldn’t be frozen. Otherwise, I love pesto too! Other cheese to try in this – Parrano. It’s a mix of Parmesan and Romano in one lovely very hard cheese. I’m not a huge Parmesan fan but Parrano is a great substitute.

    3. Dana says:

      I’ve been cooking since. never mind for a little while. an i love pesto’s. thanks for the advice. homemade paste with homemade pesto. i need a baguette an some wine, an salad.

    4. Jamie says:

      Dana,

      Homemade is the only way to go when it comes to pesto! Thank you so much for following MBA and have a wonderful day!

      Jamie

    5. Sue Elmzen says:

      Maria, you can Freeze cheese and I’ve frozen the Pesto with the cheese and it came out just fine

  6. Maris (In Good taste) says:

    I have never had homemade pesto but now I really want it!

  7. JeninWA says:

    I plant those all the time! I also cut the tops off, root them in water, and plant those. I’ve turned a single live basil plant into 5 or 6 several times…just do it!

    1. Jamie says:

      Thanks for the info, Jen!

  8. Notyet100 says:

    :) luved ur clicks

  9. Rosa says:

    Mmmhhh, lovely! There is nothing better than homemade pesto. Yours looks wonderful.

    Great clicks too!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  10. Sara Cate says:

    Ok, I LOVE this story – so honest. I too have somehow overlooked important instructions because I am so set on an idea, only later to find out I totally missed the boat. So, you’re in good company – and soon I’ll be in good company with some delicious food thanks to a great recipe for some fresh pesto pasta – YUM!

    1. Jamie says:

      I’m glad to know that I am in good company!
      -Jamie