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This post covers how to make pesto sauce, how to store it, and more! If you’ve never made homemade pesto before, you’ve been missing out!
This a perfect summer recipe to use up all that basil in the garden! I swear basil multiplies overnight. I can’t keep ahead of it, but homemade pesto is one of my favorite ways to use it up!
Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe
I don’t know why, but I had never had pesto until college. At least I’m pretty sure I hadn’t. And I honestly don’t even remember who made it when I did finally have it. All I remember was that it was a basic pesto pasta and I loved it.
I’ll be the first to admit that I ate waaaaaay more than I should have. It was slightly nutty, cheesy, and super fresh. Could there be a better combo? We use pesto all the time now and we even make it a few different ways depending on how much of everything we have like our 15-Minute Pesto Pasta, pesto butter grilled cheese, creamy pesto chicken pizza, or the bacon pesto grilled cheese sandwich contest I won with Tillamook. However, in the end this is our ultimate, absolute favorite classic pesto recipe.
A classic pesto recipe is easy enough to make, but storing is a bit tricky. I have two ways that I store it and a third that I’ve heard great things about but never tried it. But we can talk about storing it after we discuss the actual classic pesto recipe.
Basil Pesto Recipe Ingredients
This is such an easy pesto recipe! It requires minimal ingredients to whip up. Here’s what all goes into this homemade pesto sauce:
- Fresh Basil
- Garlic Cloves
- Pine Nuts
- NOTE: The best substitutes for pine nuts are walnuts, almonds or cashews.
- Olive Oil
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- NOTE: The best substitute is pecorino romano cheese.
- Salt
The measurements for each can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pesto Sauce
To start this homemade pesto recipe, I just heat up a skillet over medium heat, add both the garlic cloves and the pine nuts and let it cook until golden, shaking the pan occasionally. Then, I remove the nuts and allow the garlic to finish turning golden as well.
An added bonus is that the garlic slides right out of its skin when it’s toasted this way. I love that. So, yes you read right, toast the garlic in its thin skin and then remove after it’s golden.
Place everything except the cheese and salt in the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Stir in the cheese and add salt to taste. Yes, making this classic pesto recipe is that easy. If you want to go totally authentic, you can use a mortar and pestle to blend the pesto together. That’s just too much work for me, so food processor it is!
How to Store Pesto
Storing Pesto in a Jar
Make your classic pesto and then fill a jar to to almost the very top. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the top and seal closed to keep pesto green. This can keep for a few weeks in the fridge if you continue to cover the top with olive to keep the herbs fresh. You can also choose to freeze the jar, but I wouldn’t keep it in the freezer for more than a month before switching it to the fridge.
Storing Pesto in a Vacuum Bag
I love the foodsaver. Yes, it costs a little money, but you end up saving tons. You can easily make your pesto, stick it in a bag, suck out the air and freeze it for up to 9 months. BOOYAH! When you’re ready to use it just move it down to the fridge to defrost and use on your favorite dish.
How Long Does Pesto Last?
This easy basil pesto sauce will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container. If you use the olive oil method shared above, the shelf life will be extended.
Can You Freeze Pesto?
Yes! Homemade basil pesto sauce freezes incredibly well. Simply make the recipe as instructed, then seal the pesto in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Alternately, spoon the homemade pesto into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Once hardened, transfer the pesto cubes to a freezer bag. This way, you wind up with single servings of frozen pesto!
Our Favorite Pesto Uses
We love pesto on everything from egg whites to garlic bread to chicken to pasta to salads. I love having a jar handy in the fridge or freezer! Here are a few of our favorite recipes that use pesto sauce:
- 20-Minute Cheesy Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Pepperoni and Sausage Grilled Pizza
- Sun Dried Tomato, Bacon, & Pesto Grilled Cheese
- 15-Minute Grilled Veggies with Pesto
- Pesto Veggie Foil Packs
- 15-Minute Pesto Pasta
- Cheesy Pesto Tarts
Tips for the Best Pesto Sauce
- Put ice in the food processor and mix. This will cool your machine before preparing your pesto and will help in keeping your pesto greener.
- Because this easy pesto recipe uses so few ingredients, it’s important that you buy the best quality ingredients you can.
- Use extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parm for the best flavor.
Other Italian Sauce Recipes
Looking for more Italian Sauce recipes? Who doesn’t love Italian sauces!? Make sure you try these out the next time you are making that Italian dish:
- Traditional Bolognese Recipe
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Easy Pizza Sauce
- Garden Veggie Marinara Sauce
- Easy Beef Ragu
- Cilantro Pesto
- Creamy Sausage Alfredo Sauce
- Healthier Avocado Pesto
- Spicy Sausage Pasta Sauce
- ALL OF OUR PASTA RECIPES!
Classic Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons
- 3 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
- 3 Cups Fresh Basil, packed
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, plus 1-2 Tablespoons
- 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, plus 2 Tablespoons, grated
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the pine nuts and garlic.1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, 3 Cloves Garlic
- Toast for a few minutes or until golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally to toss the pine nuts and promote even color.
- Once the pine nuts are done, remove them from the pan and continue to toast the garlic.
- Remove garlic from the pan and remove the skin.
- Wait until both garlic and pine nuts are cooled.
- Place the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil in a blender and pulse until smooth, but still a tad grainy in texture.3 Cups Fresh Basil, 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Place everything in a bowl and stir in the cheese.1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Salt to taste and store according to post directions.Salt
Recipe Notes
- You can adjust the garlic to your own taste. It you don’t love it, just use 2 cloves!
- See the post for details on storing pesto in a mason jar with a little olive oil in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love all your tips, thank you
Thank you!!
I grow Basil and often make pesto. However everyone using X cups of basil. What is never stated is this measurement loose or packed? I can fill the measuring cup with the leaves and read X cups, but if I push them down, I can pack more in. So for your 3 cups, are you measuring this with a loose fill or do you pack it?
It does say packed above.
My family loves pesto pasta! So I happened along your site and thought “I have been trying to think of a healthy Christmas gift and what a great idea to make pesto!” Only problem is that it needs to be refrigerated right away correct? I’ve never tried to transport it anywhere so any thoughts? Pesto pasta is however, my go to potluck dish but suppose that’s a different situation as well. Good idea bad idea?
that is an amazing idea!! Do they live far away? The olive oil really does hold in so much so if you filled a jar or tupperware quite full and then covered in olive oil you may be safe. Otherwise you could always use a vacuum sealer to remove the air from a jar or bag to keep it fresh.
I’m psyched! Thanks for the inspiration!
Not necessarily. The farthest we travel is 2 hours. But when you go to parties and such, Hosts don’t always have time to put away their gifts so the pesto could potentially be out for a few hours. (Although, I suppose I could put it in the fridge for them.) Anyway, I would want to make big batches ahead of time. Then store in 4oz. Ball (as suggested). So do I refrigerate right away once I make it? And then when we give it out it should be ok for several hours until refrigerated again? Do you think its ok to take it in and out of cold?
Thanks!
My father-in-law has been making huge batches at the end of the growing season and freezing it for years. Like the tip at the end, he doesn’t add the cheese before freezing. To keep it from going bad, he freezes most of it in serving sizes by using the smallest canning jars (I believe they are 4oz.) This is perfect for a family meal for us and we don’t waste any or worry about mold.
Any tips on how to avoid mold? Id like to make this recipe for sure, I’ve bought the one from Costco and within a month I had mold growing in the jar, I always kept it sealed and refrigerated…
The olive oil over the top helps with that and of course the fresher the basil the better, but it can happen no matter what.
Yes! I need to do this before all the pretty Summer basil is gooooooone.
Mmmm pesto-I hadn’t tried it until I was older too but now I loove it!
Isn’t it the best?!
Mmm! Nothing best homemade pest! It’s so fresh and so mush better than store bought! Such a helpful post, I love your tips!
Totally better than store bought, although I’ll admit that costco has a good one
I totally have to try homemade pesto before summer is over! This looks fantastic and your tips are really helpful, thank you for sharing 😀
Oh, I hope you do! It’s so wonderful
Dear Carrian, wonderful blog ! Your recipe is approved also from Italy, even if pesto ortodoxy wouldn’t accept food processors. Anyway, here we are in the XXI C and so… welcome food processors ! 😉
Two italian tips:
1) put ice in the fp and mix, to cool your robot, befor preparing your pesto. This will help in keeping your pesto more green.
2) If freezing, do not freeze with Parmigiano cheese inside. Its taste will change. Add it express before using your pesto, after de-feezing.
Sorry for my english, a kiss from Verona !
I love your tips!! Adding them to the post now!