Homemade Pesto Sauce
Our homemade pesto sauce is packed with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil to make an easy sauce in less than 15 minutes! Perfect for adding to pasta, pizza, bread, and more!
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If you’ve never made homemade basil pesto, you’re missing out on one of the easiest pasta sauce recipes out there! It’s bright, vibrant, and only takes less than 15 minutes to whip up in the food processor.
Of course, I’m a little biased and think mine is the best basil pesto ever. It has plenty of fresh basil, some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, crunchy pine nuts, and a little bit of garlic.
Add some good quality extra virgin olive oil and you’ve got a quick sauce for an easy pasta dinner, pizza night, or to drizzle over your favorite flatbread.
It’s one of my all time favorite pasta sauce options, especially during the summer when we eat a lighter meals. We love to use it in dishes like our chicken pesto pasta and pesto pasta salad recipes.
Kim’s Tips for the Best Pesto Sauce
Add the olive oil slowly. Start by adding small amounts of olive oil to your pesto and slowly add more until it reaches the desired consistency.
Use a small clove of garlic. Too much garlic can overpower the sauce, so opt for a small clove. You can even use roasted garlic to cut down on the raw flavor.
Tightly pack the basil. When I measure the basil, I stack the leaves and pack them firmly into a measuring cup until it’s full.
Add the salt last. The Parmesan cheese adds quite a bit of saltiness to pesto sauce. Taste it before adding any extra.
Just a few ingredients
How to Make Homemade Pesto Sauce
Place the basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and pepper into a food processor.
Pulse several times to break down the basil. Switch to low speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Continue to add the oil until the ingredients are well combined and the pesto gets to the consistency you like. The sauce should have a smooth, slightly creamy consistency.
Taste the sauce, and add the salt if needed. Serve immediately on your favorite dish or store in the fridge for later.
How to Store Leftover Sauce
Refrigerator: Store leftover pesto sauce in the refrigerator covered by a thin layer of olive oil for up to 4 days. The olive oil keeps the pesto from drying out and turning brown.
Freezer: Freeze leftover sauce in an ice cube tray then transfer the frozen cubes to a plastic bag. They’ll stay good in the freezer for about 3 months.
Things to Keep in Mind After You Make It
- Pesto sauce naturally separates. The olive oil sits on top of the solid portion, and that’s normal. Just give it a good stir before using.
- If the olive oil firms up while it’s being stored in the fridge, let it come to room temperature and stir it back together.
- I’ve found the best way to thin out this sauce is by adding a little starchy pasta water when you’re tossing it with noodles.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded off the block
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
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Instructions
- Place the basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper into a food processor.2 cups fresh basil leaves½ cup Parmesan cheese⅓ cup pine nuts1 garlic clove⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Pulse 7 to 8 times just enough to break down the basil.
- Switch to low speed, and slowly pour in the olive oil. Mix until the oil is fully incorporated and all ingredients are smooth and creamy. Taste, and add the salt if needed.½ cup extra virgin olive oil¼ teaspoon salt
- Serve immediately or store for a later use.
Notes
- Store any leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To make sure the garlic breaks down, consider giving it a rough chop before adding it to the food processor.
I had so much basil this fall that I died it. Is it possible to rehydrate it to make pesto, and if so, how much to rehydrate and how long? Thanks
Good Morning Wanda, that’s a good question. Unfortunately, we don’t know of any way to rehydrate the basil for pesto sauce. Sorry we couldn’t be more helpful. Have a lovely day 🙂