Easy Basil Pesto

This easy basil pesto recipe can be whipped up in less than five minutes! It tastes like summer and is a great way to use up any extra basil from the garden. Throw out those store bought jars of pesto and make your family this delicious from scratch version!

What is pesto?

Classic pesto is made with basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Traditionally it was crushed in a mortar and pestle. Here I used a food processor to make it extra quick and easy! Thank goodness for electricity. Lemon juice is also added for brightness.

What’s in this easy basil pesto recipe?

• fresh basil
• extra virgin olive oil OR avocado oil
• pine nuts
• salt
• black pepper
• lemon juice
• garlic
• grated parmesan

This recipe is made with whole food ingredients, making it a healthy sauce to add to your dishes for you and your family! Basil is a fantastic herb to add into your diet because of all of it’s health benefits. It’s full of antioxidants and is also anti-inflammatory. Eating it fresh and raw as it is in this recipe is even better!

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

• A skillet to toast the pine nuts
• Food processor

You will need to toast your pine nuts, unless using one of the alternatives like walnuts. A blender can also be used instead of a food processor, but it may not make as smooth of a sauce. You can also do it the old fashioned way and use a mortar and pestle. Although that does take a lot more time and energy.

Recipe varitations:

Here’s the deal, pine nuts are expensive! While I did use them for this recipe, an easy swap would be walnuts. If you wanted it to be nut free, you could use pepitas.

While I haven’t tried it yet, I have seen that some people swap the basil out for a different herb or green such as parsley, cilantro or spinach. I have also seen a recipe where someone used stinging nettle!

You can change the amount of lemon juice, salt and garlic in this recipe to your taste. I added extra garlic in mine because we love garlic. It was also an opportunity to give my family raw garlic which has more benefits than cooked garlic.

How do I make this recipe?

1. Start by washing and drying your basil leaves.
2. Next you are going to toast your pine nuts in a skillet on low. This only takes a couple of minutes.
3. Combine all of your ingredients and blend in the food processor. Adjust amount of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! It is a very easy recipe, perfect for your summertime harvest of basil!

What can I make with this easy basil pesto?

So many things! You can always toss it into your favorite cooked pasta, add it to pizza, make chicken salad with it, spread on a panini sandwich. It’s also delicious spread on a slice of crusty bread for a quick snack. The possibilities are endless!

How long will my pesto last?

This easy basil pesto can last up to a week in the fridge if it’s put in an airtight container. Freezing this recipe also works! If frozen it can last up to six months, but personally we’ve used frozen pesto up to a year after freezing it.

Tips for making this recipe:

• Use fresh basil. I haven’t tried this with dried or freeze dried basil, but I think it would change the texture and flavor.
• I throw the basil in with small stems and all. No need to strip them beforehand.
• While you can add whole garlic cloves to the food processor, minced or crushed garlic will incorporate better.
• Don’t skip toasting the pine nuts! They add more flavor to the pesto that you don’t want to miss.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup pine nuts

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

• 3 tbsp. lemon juice

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/3 cup grated parmesan

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Directions

• Wash and dry fresh basil.
• Toast pine nuts in a cast iron skillet on medium-low until they are lightly browned.
• Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until a smooth sauce forms. Now you’re ready to add your pesto to whatever dish you like!

This easy basil pesto sauce recipe makes a perfect quick dinner or lunch in the summer. If you enjoy this recipe, also check out my recipe for Basil Iced Tea here! Thanks for stopping by!