Homemade pesto is one of the best ways to enjoy a bounty of fresh basil. It’s great on pasta, baked potatoes, pizza, or bread. Make it in just 15 minutes!

Ingredients for Pesto Sauce

Note that pesto is always made to taste, based on the ingredients at hand. So adjust the ingredients to your taste.

Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan cheese; we often use Romano which has a stronger flavor. Basil pesto recipes often call for pine nuts, but you can easily substitute walnuts.

Basil is a powerfully aromatic herb and a little goes a long way. You can mellow the pesto out a bit by subbing half of the basil with fresh baby spinach leaves. The pesto will more easily stay vibrant green and the flavor of the basil will still come through, though just not as strongly.

PREP TIME15 mins

TOTAL TIME15 mins

SERVINGS4 servings

YIELD1 cup

Basil pesto darkens when exposed to air. To store, cover tightly with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic is touching the top of the pesto and not allowing the pesto to have contact with air. The pesto sauce will stay greener longer that way.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste