• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chef Billy Parisi logo

  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Salads
        • Salad Dressings
      • Soups
      • Main Dish
      • Pasta
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Bread Recipes
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Lamb
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
    • Occasion
      • Grilling and BBQ
      • Holiday
      • Entertaining
  • Video
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
  • The Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Recipes » Sauces » Simple Basil Pesto Recipe

Simple Basil Pesto Recipe

Posted on February 27, 2020 By Chef Billy Parisi

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This delicious classic Italian recipe for basil pesto is the perfect sauce to add to any pasta dish that will take it from boring to the bomb.  The best part is there are only a few ingredients and it takes 15 minutes to make.

jar full of creamy homemade basil pesto

I’ve been making this sauce for years and every time I taste it, it’s just as amazing as the last time.  I can’t think of an easier way to enhance the flavor of your food than this and after you make it, you’ll never buy it pre-made again.

Use it with homemade pasta or even in risotto to greatly improve the taste.  Once you try it there’s no more jarred version ever again.

What Is it

Pesto is a simple combination of:

  • Fresh Basil
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Pine Nuts
  • Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

It is incredibly similar to making a chimichurri sauce with different ingredients of course.  It is a slightly thick, slightly basil-based sauce that’s origin begun in Italy.  The classic way to make it would be using a pestle and mortar (<- Aff Link) to finely chop up the basil and garlic.

The easiest process to make basil pesto nowadays is using a food processor.

What Does Pesto Taste Like

It has a strong basil first flavor and is incredibly complemented with cheese, pine nuts, olive oil and a hint of acid from the lemon juice.  The texture is incredibly similar to chimichurri sauce, however, it is a little bit more emulsified.

Can You Make It Without Pine Nuts

Yes, if for some reason you are allergic to nuts or just don’t like the taste of pine nuts you can simply remove them from this recipe.  By taking them out of the pesto, the name of the recipe changes to, Pistou.

How to Make It

Follow these brief instructions for how to make pesto:

Toast the pine nuts over low heat until lightly browned in color.

toasting pine nuts in a pan

Pick the fresh basil leaves away from the stems.

picking fresh basil leaves

Add the basil, garlic cloves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and lemon juice to a food processor.

pine nuts and cheese with basil in a food processor

Pulse it on high speed just until finely chopped, which takes about 12-15 pulses.

finely chopped herbs in a processor

Season with salt and pepper and add in grated pecorino romano.

adding cheese to a food processor

Continue to pulse on high speed while slowly drizzling in olive oil

adding olive oil to pesto in a processor

What Is It Used For

It can be used in a number of different ways but is most popularly used in pasta, rice dishes, as a marinade or a sauce for chicken, seafood, pork or beef.  Here are a few of my favorite recipes using it:

  • Creamy Pesto Pasta
  • Pesto Pasta
  • Pesto Vinaigrette and Panzanella Salad
  • Shrimp Scampi with Pesto
  • Naan Bread with Pesto

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

How to Store: This will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.  It freezes extremely well for up to 3 months.  My suggestion, like in my sofrito recipe, would be to separate the sauce into silicone trays when freezing so you can pull out as little or as much as you’d like.

You do not have to toast the pine nuts, but it greatly enhances the flavor of the pesto by doing so.

This recipe is amazing during the summer months, especially if you happen to have your own garden with fresh basil growing.  It’s a great way to use it all up.

The lemon juice adds a little bit of clean acid flavor as well as helping to preserve the bright green color of the basil in the pesto.

Be careful not to heat up the pesto too much as it will cause the sauce to separate and become oily.

The sauce should be creamy and emulsified, it should not be runny.

basil pesto sauce in a jar with cheese

More Sauce Recipes

  • Beurre Blanc
  • Mornay Sauce
  • Bechamel
  • Puttanesca Sauce
  • Spaghetti Sauce

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Pinterest and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

jar full of creamy homemade basil pesto
Print Recipe

Simple Basil Pesto Recipe

This delicious classic recipe for basil pesto is the perfect sauce to add to any pasta dish that will take it from boring to the bomb.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time0 mins
Course: sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 115kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese
  • ¾ cup olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add the pine nuts to a small sauté pan over low heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Frequently stir with a spoon so they do not burn. Set aside.
  • Add the basil, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan cheese and pine nuts to a food processor and pulse oh high speed 12-15 times or until finely chopped.
  • Add in the pecorino roman cheese and salt and pepper and pulse on high speed while drizzling in the olive oil until it becomes emulsified.
  • Store until ready to use.

Notes

Chef Notes:
  • How to Store: This will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. It freezes extremely well for up to 3 months. My suggestion, like in my sofrito recipe, would be to separate the sauce into silicone trays when freezing so you can pull out as little or as much as you’d like.
  • You do not have to toast the pine nuts, but it greatly enhances the flavor of the pesto by doing so.
  • This recipe is amazing during the summer months, especially if you happen to have your own garden with fresh basil growing. It’s a great way to use it all up.
  • The lemon juice adds a little bit of clean acid flavor as well as helping to preserve the bright green color of the basil in the pesto.
  • Be careful not to heat up the pesto too much as it will cause the sauce to separate and become oily.
  • The sauce should be creamy and emulsified, it should not be runny.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
Simple Basil Pesto Recipe was last modified: March 16th, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

FREE EMAIL SERIES

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

Previous Post: « Fish Fry Recipe
Next Post: Easy Pesto Pasta Recipe »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

free email series

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

FEATURED IN

IT’S SOUP SEASON

bowl of beef and barley soup with herbs

Traditional Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

bowl of ham and bean soup

Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

bowl of ribollita soup with kale and carrots

Tuscan Ribollita Soup Recipe

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

bowl of chicken noodle soup with vegetables

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

bowl of stew with vegetables

Mulligan Stew Recipe

POPULAR POSTS

  • jar of chimichurri sauce with herbs and pepper Chimichurri Sauce Recipe
  • Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
  • Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipe
  • vinegar based coleslaw recipe with apple cider vinegar Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
  • how to boil green beans Boiled Green Beans Recipe with Butter Glaze
  • jar of white cheesy sauce with a spoon in it Mornay Sauce Recipe

Footer

As Seen On:

Copyright © 2021 Chef Billy Parisi | Privacy Policy