Whip up the perfect basil pesto recipe in minutes. I have a trick to get extra-rich flavor from the pine nuts, to add to the complexity and deliciousness of this dish! Toss pesto with fresh, warm pasta and it’s an easy, fragrant side dish everyone loves!
Beginner home cooks – scroll down for a detailed and printable step by step recipe (with video!).
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this basil pesto sauce…
- 4 oz pine nuts, about ½ cup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, fresh
- ½ lemon, zest
- ½ teaspoon, garlic salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 cups basil leaves, fresh
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
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Detailed basil pesto recipe steps
- In a small pan over medium-low heat, toast the pine nuts for 2-3 minutes (don’t add any oil or butter), stirring regularly until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them.
- In a food processor, combine the toasted pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, garlic salt, and black pepper. Pulse a few times to rough chop the mixture.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula, then add the basil leaves. Pulse until everything is combined.
- With the food processor running on low, gradually drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Once incorporated, turn off the machine and scrape down the sides.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the food processor and pulse until well combined. If the pesto is too thick, you can add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to thin it out.
- To serve with pasta, toss warm, freshly cooked (to al dente) pasta in a large bowl with the pesto. Avoid cooking the pesto in a hot pan, as it may alter the flavor and consistency. If using chilled pesto from the fridge, consider adding melted butter to help thin it out, if desired.
This 15 minute pasta tastes like an Italian restaurant dish… See how to make my creamy bucatini pasta sauce.
What to do with pesto
Enjoy your homemade pesto:
- Tossed with homemade fettuccine
- As a delicious spread for sandwiches
- On top of minestrone soup
- With chicken on cast iron pizza
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
I’d love to know how your version turned out! Drop a rating and leave a comment below to help the Sip Bite Go community. And if you snapped any photos, tag me on Instagram—I love sharing reader pics in my Stories!
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Easy Basil Pesto Recipe
Whip up the perfect basil pesto pasta in minutes. I have a trick to get extra-rich flavor from the pine nuts, to add to the complexity and deliciousness of this dish! Toss pesto with fresh, warm pasta and it’s an easy, fragrant side dish everyone loves!
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Servings: 4 people
Calories: 343kcal
Video
Ingredients
- 4 oz pine nuts about ½ cup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- ½ lemon zest
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups basil leaves fresh
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- In a small pan over medium-low heat, toast the pine nuts for 2-3 minutes (don’t add any oil or butter), stirring regularly until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them.
- In a food processor, combine the toasted pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, garlic salt, and black pepper. Pulse a few times to rough chop the mixture.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula, then add the basil leaves. Pulse until everything is combined.
- With the food processor running on low, gradually drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Once incorporated, turn off the machine and scrape down the sides.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese to the food processor and pulse until well combined. If the pesto is too thick, you can add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to thin it out.
- To serve with pasta, toss warm, freshly cooked (to al dente) pasta in a large bowl with the pesto. Avoid cooking the pesto in a hot pan, as it may alter the flavor and consistency. If using chilled pesto from the fridge, consider adding melted butter to help thin it out, if desired.
Notes
See the recipe: https://sipbitego.com/basil-pesto
Watch the full-length YouTube recipe video on Sip Bite Go’s YouTube channel.
Nutrition
Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 694IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 2mg
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