Homemade Basil Pesto

Homemade basil pesto is a rich, classic Italian sauce that’s big on flavour, and only takes minutes to make! It’s a fresh, bright addition to any summer meal.

There are a million recipes out there for homemade basil pesto — maybe more! But I love it so much, and I was making a batch, so why not share?

I’m a clumsy person — partly because I move too fast, and partly because I’m tall (5 feet 11 inches). I recently dropped my KitchenAid food processor and broke it, so these days I’m relying on my handy dandy immersion blender! That’s what I used for this recipe.

I use my immersion blender for so many things — puréeing soups, blending sauces, and emulsifying homemade mayo in seconds. A bit clunkier than a traditional blender or food processor, this tiny workhorse still gets the job done! Use any of the three appliances mentioned to make this pesto, or if you’re feeling super ambitious, do it the old school way by hand using a mortar and pestle.

In most homemade basil pesto recipes I’ve seen, olive oil is slowly drizzled into the pesto as the food processor runs. Not here! I added all of the olive oil at once, blended it for about 10 seconds, and the results were terrific. This is a fast, no fuss recipe, which can be ready in under 20 minutes.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet. Place the pine nuts in the oven and toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 7 to 9 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through toasting. Set aside to cool.

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Grate the Parmesan cheese if needed. Set aside.

Tear the basil leaves and stems then place them inside a large tall jar (you may need to do this in a few batches as the basil probably won’t fit all at once).

Pulse the basil with an immersion blender until the leaves are somewhat puréed.

Add the Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and flaky salt to the jar.

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Process everything together until coarse and chunky.

Add the olive oil to the jar.

Blend the pesto with the immersion blender 5 to 10 seconds more, then taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Spoon the pesto into a clean, smaller jar and store it in the fridge, sealed with an airtight lid, for up to one week.

Notes & Tips

I used an immersion blender for this recipe, however, use a food processor or blender if that’s what you have!

I generally make homemade basil pesto in the summertime when I’m growing my own herbs. 120 grams of basil may not sound like a lot but it can get expensive if you’re buying basil at the grocery store.

Use both basil leaves and stems — they taste the same!

You don’t have to toast the pine nuts, however, toasting adds an extra level of flavour which I think is worth it and I recommend doing.

I use flaky salt in this recipe, not to be bougie, but to enhance the other ingredients, because, let’s get real, pesto isn’t cheap to make. When I splurge on a boatload of basil, real Parm, and pine nuts, I might as well use good salt.

I use one smallish clove of garlic in this recipe as I find larger cloves can overpower the other flavours. Use whichever size of clove or amount of garlic you like.

If your pesto seems too thick, add olive oil by the teaspoon to loosen it, up to 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) depending on your preference.

Store homemade basil pesto in a glass or plastic container with a tight fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week.

You can freeze homemade basil pesto! My favourite method is to spoon pesto into a clean ice cube tray. Freeze the pesto, pop out the cubes, and store them in a sealed zip top bag for up to three months. To use, simply add frozen cube(s) to whatever dish you’re making, heat through to melt, and stir.

Substitutions

Pine nuts are expensive, no question. Replace them with toasted almonds, pecans, or even toasted seeds (sunflower or pumpkin seeds are great) if you like.

Basil can be substituted with most greens, but note the flavour will change completley. I have a recipe for spinach arugula pesto which is very good!

Parmesan cheese can be replaced with Pecorino, Grana Padano, or any other hard grated cheese you like.

If you don’t have or can’t find a good quality flaky sea salt, use kosher salt flakes or any other flaky salt from the grocery store.

I love the strong flavour of good olive oil in homemade basil pesto. If you don’t, replace some of the olive oil with a neutral-tasting oil like vegetable or canola.

Use Homemade Basil Pesto With These Recipes

Buttermilk Quiche With Ham, Cheddar, & Chives

Orzo Pesto Salad With Tomatoes & Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Spelt Pasta

Did you make this recipe? If yes, I would love to know how you made out in the comments below! You can also tag me on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or use the hashtag #kellyneil.