Fresh basil leaves, olive oil, and parmesan cheese are blended with pine nuts and garlic to create a decadently creamy sauce that’s ready in minutes.
Ingredients and Swaps for Pesto
Basil: Use fresh basil pesto—many grocery stores sell a larger pesto pack of basil. Short on basil? Raid the garden and add parsley, kale, spinach, thyme, dill, or oregano in place. Oil: Use any mild flavored oil such as olive oil, avocado, or canola for pesto. Nuts: Pine nuts are traditional, but they can be pricey and sometimes hard to find. You can replace them with almost any kind of nut such as almonds, walnuts, pecans or even hazelnuts or seeds. Toast nuts or seeds in a dry saute pan until fragrant to intensify the flavor. Cheese: Grate your parmesan for the best flavor, if you can. Other cheeses to use are Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Asiago, or a little crumbled feta all bring that salty flavor balance to pesto.
How to Make Pesto
Ways to Use Pesto
Pasta: Drain pasta, reserving a little bit of pasta water. Toss the pesto with pasta, adding water as needed to reach the desired consistency. Sandwiches: Add a spoonful of homemade pesto to mayo for an easy upgrade to burgers, pizza, wraps, and sandwiches. Eggs: Add a spoonful to scrambled eggs or spoon it fresh over fried eggs. Dip: Mix equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream, stir in pesto as a dip for veggies, chips, or crackers.
Storing Pesto
Keep leftover pesto sauce in a covered container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze portions in quart-sized zippered freezer bags for up to 6 months or freeze in an ice cube tray and transfer to a zippered bag. Did you love this Basil Pesto? Leave a rating and a comment below. © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
