This Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe is vegetarian and comes together in under 10 minutes! Perfect as a spread for sandwiches, marinade for meats, or to drizzle over pizza or veggies.
Summer is still in full swing here in Wisconsin and my fresh herbs are going nuts! I love this time of year (despite the horrible heat and humidity) with all the fresh produce coming in. One of my favorite things to grow is fresh herbs like basil, rosemary and cilantro. I have some that stay in my house year-round and one of those is basil.
Basil is one of my favorite herbs to incorporate into recipes, including this Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe. The sauce is so easy, and comes together in under 20 minutes. This healthy, vegetarian sauce goes great with pizzas, sandwiches, or as a simple sauce for pasta. I hope you and your family love this simple pesto recipe!
Kitchen Tools
- A Food Processor or Blender
- Garlic Peeler
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Container for Storing Leftovers
Ingredients
- Fresh Basil: The basil must be fresh, dried is not an option for this recipe. I like to grown my own herbs, but you can find fresh basil at your local grocery store near the vegetables.
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice is fine!
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: If you are making this recipe vegan you can use a cheese substitute or Nutritional Yeast.
- Pine Nuts
- Spices
How To Make Healthy Homemade Pesto
This herb filled and super fresh homemade pesto recipe is super simple to make and takes less than 10 minutes!
- Start by measuring and preparing your ingredients. If using fresh garlic make sure you peel it.
- Once you have everything ready, combine all ingredients in a food processor or a blender. I like using a mini food processor for this basil pesto so I do not have to clean my big one.
- Start by running your food processor on LOW for 30-60 seconds. Check the pesto and add more olive oil if it seems to thick. Blend for an additional 30-60 seconds until the pesto is smooth and no chunks remain.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge or freezer.
For a more detailed look at prep check out the short homemade basil pesto sauce recipe video below!
More Simple Sides
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Homemade Chimichurri Sauce
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe
Easy Homemade Taco Seasoning
Common Questions
Yes, fresh basil is required for this green pesto recipe. Using dried basil will not work at all. You can find fresh basil at most grocery stores by the leafy greens. Also, you could try growing your own. I have my fresh basil in a small pot on a windowsill in my kitchen and it has been going strong for years!
This herb filled basil pesto sauce recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce when finished. You can always store leftover sauce in the fridge or freezer if you do not need that much.
To make this this green homemade basil pesto vegan you can swap the Parmesan cheese out for nutritional yeast. This swap does not affect the flavor or texture and is great if you are avoiding animal products. My favorite nutritional yeast is the Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning.
Store leftover homemade basil pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, this pesto sauce freezes great and when stored in an airtight container stays fresh for up to 3 months. You could store the pesto in a large freezer bag, glass, or plastic container and scoop out what you need. Alternatively, you could store the pesto in small snack zip-lock bags, or a ice cube tray. This way you can pop out a small amount at a time.
When ready to use frozen pesto let defrost in the overnight fridge, or until thawed. You could also place the pesto in a zip-lock bag and run cold water over it for 15-30 minutes until completely thawed.
Additional Ideas
Nut Options: One alteration you can make to this fresh pesto is swapping the pine nuts out for walnuts. If you make this switch use the same amount the recipe calls for. I know pine nuts can be tough to find sometimes, so walnuts work great for this pesto as well.
Pairing Ideas: Basil pesto is very versatile and can be incorporated into tons of different recipes. You could drizzle it over my Easy Margherita Pizza, spread it on a Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwich, use it as a simple pasta sauce with my pesto pasta, or even drizzle over the top of some avocado toast.
Happy Eating!
Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend on LOW for 30-60 seconds until well combined. If sauce is too thick add more olive oil (1 tablespoon at a time) and blend an additional 30 seconds. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Leftover Storage: Store leftover basil pesto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer Option: Store homemade pesto in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. A great option is to use an empty ice cube tray so you can have individual servings. Let pesto completely defrost before using.
- Vegan Option: To make this pesto recipe vegan, swap the Parmesan Cheese out for Nutritional Yeast.
- Recipe Ingredient Swap: If you cannot find pine nuts you can use walnuts instead. Use the same amount as the recipe calls for.
Nutrition
Share The Love!
sheenam @ thetwincookingproject
Love homemade pesto! Looks so delicious!! YUMMMY!!!!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Thank you so much!
Irina
I always use a store bought Basil Pesto Sauce, but here we go. The homemade one. It is the best! Thanks for sharing!
Caitlyn Erhardt
You are welcome!
Cookilicious
homemade pesto is so much better than store bought!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Totally agree!
Patty at Spoonabilities
Oh what a delicious pesto! I am going to make this for our pasta meal this week. Can't wait!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Yay! Hope you love it!
Alison
I love a good pesto! You can be so creative with the way you make it too.
Caitlyn Erhardt
Yes, I love how versatile it is!
Julie Wallace
Yum! And so pretty! Pesto is definitely the best way to use up stray herbs or even baby greens (I make arugula pesto a lot). I've been making it a lot this summer since my farmer's market only sells basil in these gargantuan, mutant sized bunches (seriously, never seen that much basil in my life)!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Haha! Too much basil is a good problem to have in my book!