Best Homemade Basil Pesto
This easy homemade basil pesto sauce is the perfect from scratch recipe! Homemade pesto is so easy to make and adds so much flavor to so many meals.
Servings: 8 servings
Cost: $8
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 cups packed basil leaves fresh
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese
- ½ - 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ - ¾ cup (118-177ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Place pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir often, cooking for just a few minutes, until they start to brown. Remove from heat and cool.
- Place basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan in a the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until a paste forms. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pulse to combine.
- While running the machine, pour in olive oil, starting with 1/2 cup. Once the pesto emulsifies it will become a thick sauce. If you want thinner pesto, add another ¼ cup olive oil.
Video
Notes
- The biggest frustration with homemade pesto is that it turns brown almost instantly once exposed to air. To keep your pesto vibrantly green, try a quick 'Acid Buffer.' By adding just one teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, the vitamin C acts as a natural antioxidant, preventing the basil from oxidizing. For a professional 'caterer-style' green, you can also blanch your basil leaves in boiling water for 15 seconds followed by an ice bath before blending.
- When storing in a jar, add a layer of olive oil on the top to prevent any air from touching the pesto.
- This will last a week in the refrigerator or freeze in ice cube trays or souper cubes for several months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 48mg | Vitamin A: 365IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 0.5mg
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
