Easy Classic Pesto

a bowl of pesto with a little parmesan cheese on top.

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An Italian classic that's easier and better tasting than store bought!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings oz

Calories 215kcal

Author Tracy

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil, packed 3 oz with stems, 1.75 oz without stems
1/4 cup pine nuts 20 g, toasted
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 4 g
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic medium sized
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 40 g or 1.5 oz, shredded
1/2 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil 303 g or 4 oz

Instructions

Toast: Over medium low heat, in a saute pan, toast pine nuts for about 2 minutes.
Blend: Add the basil, salt, lemon juice, garlic clove, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts to the food processor or blender. Blend a few times before slowly adding the oil as it is running. Blend until the pesto is a consistency that you want.
Store for later, or use immediately.

Notes

Nutritional Value is approximately per ounce. This recipe yields about 3/4 of a cup or 6.5 oz.

Storage

Fridge: Store this fresh pesto in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezer: Store pesto in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Ingredient Notes

Basil Quantity: I developed this recipe around the fresh basil container size that can be most commonly found in the grocery store, which is 3 oz. That typically equates to 2 cups packed and just under 2 oz once the stems are removed.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is one of the recipes that you use the high-quality olive oil you have saved. The quality of the oil can play a big role.

Garlic: One of the few times I will encourage you to only use one (medium) sized clove. Using too much can quickly overpower the rest of the flavors.

Pine Nuts: Toasting the pine nuts is optional, but encouraged as it brings out their nutty flavor. Also, we love to make pesto with hazelnuts and even walnuts sometimes when we cannot find pine nuts in the store.

Pesto Consistency: We prefer a smoother pesto, so we blend it for longer. But if a chunkier pesto is your preference, just blend until it has reached the consistency that you prefer.

Nutrition