Fresh Homemade Basil Pesto

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This homemade fresh basil pesto is a family recipe we make since years. Fresh basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts & olive oil is all you need. The pesto is super easy and quick to make and tastes so much better than store-bought.

In my family we have been spoilt by always having a jar of fresh homemade basil pesto in the fridge. Every year we plant several basil plants in our garden which gives us way more basil than we could possibly use up. With all that leftover basil we make homemade pesto and freeze it.

Ingredients for basil pesto:

This fresh homemade basil pesto recipe only needs a few simple ingredients.

• Basil: Fresh basil is the base of this recipe. It is best if you get it right out of your garden. What basil you use doesn’t really matter. All but Thai basil works. Dried basil will not work with this recipe.

• Garlic: Everything is better with some garlic! If you want extra flavor roast the garlic beforehand.

• Parmesan: The parmesan brings saltiness into the pesto and is the reason why there is no need for additional salt. I recommend to get the best one you can find. Trust me, it is worth it as the flavor of the cheese makes a big difference in the pesto flavor. In this recipe we use the parmesan in big pieces and not the shredded version. Grated cheese often has extra ingredients to keep it fresh which we do not want in our pesto. We want the fresh cheese and this will also give the pesto some texture which our family loves.

• Pine Nuts: If you want you can roast your pine nuts before making the pesto to bring some extra flavor in. Make sure they are not hot anymore before mixing it with the other ingredients. This is totally optional and depends on what you like. If you have a hard time finding pine nuts you can swap them out walnuts, almonds or even pistachio.

• Olive Oil: The olive oil will help combining everything well and adds awesome flavor.

How to make fresh homemade basil pesto

Homemade basil pesto can be made in just a few minutes. You will need a blender or food processor to mix all the ingredients together.

Before you start with the recipe it is important that you sterilize 2-3 smaller jars in which you can fill the pesto. Check out my post where I explain different methods on how to sterilize your jars: How to sterilize your jars

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until nicely combined. You still want some junks in the pesto and not a completely smooth texture. Scrape down the sides in between pulsing if necessary.

Fill the mixture into the prepared sterilized jars.

Now grab that olive oil and smother that pesto to where the top is covered with it. Doing this will keep your pesto fresh and and prevent your amazing pesto from becoming moldy.

You can immediately use it or store it in the fridge for a while first. I personally do not like the fresh basil flavor and prefer letting the pesto sit for one week and let all the amazing flavor develop. It will taste even better after just having some patience.

Storing

You can store the pesto in the fridge for up to 6 months in a jar that is tightly sealed.

How to preserve your pest properly:

Make sure you always add new olive oil on top of the pesto when you use some of it. First clean the wall of the jar by pushing any pesto on it down and then cover the whole pesto with an olive oil layer.

If you are like my family and make pesto in bulks you can also freeze it. We usually keep the pesto in the freezer for up to 1 year. Make sure that the sides of your jar are clean and scrapped down and that you have a good layer of olive oil on top of the pesto. Close the jar tightly and put it in the freezer with the lid up so the olive oil stays on top of the pesto when freezing.

Where to use this fresh homemade basil pesto in:

• Pasta – I am loving this Italian Pasta Salad
• Sandwiches
• Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Pesto Bread Twist
• Use it as a dip
• and much more!

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I replace the pine nuts with other nuts?

A: Pine nuts will give you the best flavor for pesto. However, they are not cheap. Pine nuts can easily be replaced by other nuts like cashew, almonds, walnuts or even pistachios. You could also use seeds like sunflower seeds instead. My favorite are cashews but I encourage you try the different nuts and use what you liked best flavor wise.

Fresh Basil Pesto

This homemade fresh basil pesto is a family recipe we make since years. Fresh basil, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts & olive oil is all you need. The pesto is super easy and quick to make and tastes so much better than store-bought.

5 from 19 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Condiment

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 jars

Calories 2135 kcal

Equipment

• Food processor or blender
• Jars (sterilized)

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

0.5x1x2x3x4x

• 75 g Basil
• 1 Garlic clove
• 150 g Parmesan whole not grated
• 2 tbsp. Pine Nuts
• 1-1.5 dl Olive Oil

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Instructions

 

• Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until nicely combined. You still want some junks in the pesto and not a completely smooth texture. Scrape down the sides in between pulsing if necessary.
• Fill the mixture into the prepared jars.
• Now grab that olive oil and smother that pesto to where the top is covered with it. Doing this will keep your pesto fresh and and prevent your amazing pesto from becoming moldy.
• You can immediately use the pesto or store it in the fridge for a while first.

Notes

• Sterilize your jars: Here is a blog post explaining you different methods on how to do that How to sterilize your jars – Oh Sweet Cultureshock

 

• Basil: Fresh basil is the base of this recipe. It is best if you get it right out of your garden. What basil you use doesn’t really matter. I do not recommend using Thai basil tough. Dried basil will not work with this recipe

 

• Garlic: Everything is better with some garlic! If you want extra flavor roast the garlic beforehand.

 

• Parmesan: The parmesan brings saltiness into the pesto and is the reason why there is no need for additional salt. I recommend to get the best one you can find. Trust me, it is worth it as the flavor of the cheese makes a big difference in the pesto flavor. In this recipe we use the parmesan in big pieces and not the grated version.

 

• Pine Nuts: If you want you can roast your pine nuts before making the pesto to bring some extra flavor in. Make sure they are not hot anymore before mixing it with the other ingredients. If you have a hard time finding pine nuts you can swap them out walnuts, almonds or even pistachio.

 

• Storing: Make sure you always add new olive oil on top of the pesto when you use some of it. First clean the wall of the jar by pushing any pesto on it down and then cover the whole pesto with an olive oil layer.
  • You can store the pesto in the fridge for up to 6 months in a jar that is tightly sealed.
  • If you are like my family and make pesto in bulks you can also freeze it. We usually keep the pesto in the freezer for up to 1 year. Make sure that the sides of your jar are clean and scrapped down and that you have a good layer of olive oil on top of the pesto. Close the jar tightly and put it in the freezer with the lid up so the olive oil stays on top of the pesto when freezing.

Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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Nutrition

Calories: 2135kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 60gFat: 209gSaturated Fat: 47gPolyunsaturated Fat: 27gMonounsaturated Fat: 126gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 2410mgPotassium: 549mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5137IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 1920mgIron: 6mg

Nutrition information is calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Keyword Condiment, Easy, Homemade, Quick

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