Posted Jun 16, 2019, Updated Aug 15, 2024 I grow fresh basil in my garden just so I can make this homemade pesto sauce! It’s one of my favorite condiments that tastes amazing on just about everything – pasta, chicken, meatballs etc. Homemade pesto is even more delicious than store-bought varieties, but it’s easy to make in 10 minutes with 5 ingredients! Toasted pine nuts add a depth of flavor to the bright and fresh basil and savory parmesan cheese. It’s hard not to eat it by the spoonful straight from the blender. Using a blender or food processor makes it the perfect consistency that can be adjusted to your tastes, and it can be served in so many different ways! It’s like summer in sauce form!
Basil Pesto Sauce: Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh basil. This ingredient is the star of the show in this basil pesto recipe. I don’t recommend making any substitutions for fresh basil, as it will dramatically affect the final taste. Olive oil. The flavor of a high-quality olive oil will really shine in this pesto recipe. Another neutral oil like avocado oil is an acceptable substitute. Pine nuts. If basil is the star of this recipe, toasted pine nuts are the co-star. They are key to making a classic pesto recipe, and shouldn’t be substituted if you’re going for a 100% authentic flavor. If you must, you can try using other nuts like walnuts, pecans or almonds. Minced garlic. Fresh roasted garlic is a great substitute. Parmesan cheese. Again, the quality of parmesan cheese used will make a difference in the final taste of this pesto sauce. I recommend freshly grated parmesan for the best flavor. Salt & pepper. I always cook with sea salt and freshly ground pepper! I recommend starting with a small amount of salt, tasting and then adjusting to your liking!
How to Make Pesto Sauce
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this homemade pesto sauce is SO easy to make. Simply toast some pine nuts, blend the ingredients together and enjoy! The hardest part is not eating all of it with a spoon directly from the container of your blender!
Toast Pine Nuts
This pesto recipe begins with toasting the pine nuts. Please note that pine nuts can go from raw to burnt very quickly. Since pine nuts are an expensive ingredient, you want to be sure to watch them closely and stir them every 30 seconds, so they don’t burn. It should take 4-5 minutes to toast them. The pine nuts need to be cooled to room temperature before used in this basil pesto recipe, so once they’re toasted transfer them from the warm pan to a small cookie sheet or baking pan for them to cool!
Make the Pesto
While the pine nuts are cooling blend the olive oil and fresh basil together until they are well combined but not completely smooth. By blending these ingredients first, it ensures easier blending once the other ingredients are added. You may also use a food processor and you will get equally delicious results! Next, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until you reach your desired consistency. You may need to pause, scrape down the sides of the container, and continue blending depending on the size of your blending container.
Note on Pesto Consistency
Some people like their pesto sauce a little bit chunky, some like it smooth. The great thing about making your own homemade pesto is that you are in charge and you get to choose! Since I’m feeding kids and I’m weird about texture, I like to blend our basil pesto until it’s mostly smooth!
Serve
You can either store this pesto recipe to use for later, or serve it immediately To serve on pasta, stir it into warm, freshly-cooked noodles and you won’t need to heat or cook the sauce. Here are some serving suggestions:
Make Pesto Pasta. The most obvious way to enjoy this pesto sauce is to serve it tossed in your favorite pasta! Make your own homemade whole wheat pasta! Or make pesto tortellini. Use it to make this baked pesto chicken – an easy & healthy weeknight dinner. Use is as a pizza sauce. Spread this pesto sauce over some homemade pizza dough and top with cheese! You can also mix it into this homemade pizza sauce. Grilling. Brush it on meat or veggies in their last few minutes of grilling for peso kabobs, chicken breasts, zucchini, etc. Spread it on a sandwich. Use this pesto sauce to amp up the flavor in any sandwich! Turkey, BLTs, club sandwiches, you name it, this pesto will be delicious on it. Add it to roasted or sautéed veggies. After cooking veggies in olive oil, add some of this pesto sauce for a delicious side or main dish. Add it to these balsamic roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli, roasted brussel sprouts, etc. Salad dressing. Dress a salad with this pesto sauce. Pasta salad. Add it to your favorite homemade pasta salad recipe or use it exclusively as the dressing to make a pesto pasta salad! Grains. Mix it into rice, quinoa, etc. for a simple but delicious side.
Store/Freeze
Store pesto sauce in glass jar with a lid (leave room at the top for the sauce to expand in the freezer) for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
