Pesto! Make it the classic way with basil and pinenuts, or any number of other combinations using spinach, kale, rocket/arugula and nuts such as cashews, almonds and walnuts using my pesto formula.
Homemade pesto will last for 3 days in the fridge, or months in the freezer. Make a pesto pasta, use for pasta salad, spread it on toast, use as a dip and dollop on everything!
There is no greater purpose for a big bunch of fresh basil than to make a homemade classic Italian pesto, and it’s negligent of me to have not shared my “formula” until now!
While basil is the classic version, there’s a wide variety of combinations available and I use the same recipe for all variations:
My pesto formula
2 cups basil – or other (tasty) blitzable leafy greens (lie kale, baby spinach)
2 tablespoons pinenuts – or other nuts (chopped). Cashews are the best (better value!) sub for a basil pesto.
1/2 cup / 50 grams parmesan. The better the quality, the better your pesto!
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil – a really good quality one makes all the difference here! I know that sounds like a lot of olive oil but you need it, to make a good pesto. If you don’t use enough, the pesto will be too pasty to use and it will be harder to blitz too.
1 small garlic clove – not too large, else it will have too much of a raw, harsh garlic flavour.
Salt and pepper
Combine and blitz – that’s it!
Pesto variations
Here are some terrific combinations I’ve tried over the years. Use the same Pesto Formula above.
Basil and pinenuts – the classic
Basil with cashews – a popular dip combination sold in Australia
Rocket/arugula or baby spinach – with pinenuts, walnuts, almonds or cashews
Kale or silverbeet – with pinenuts, almonds or cashews (I find walnuts too bitter with kale)
Parsley – with pinenuts, walnuts, almonds or cashews
Add a bit of coriander/cilantro to any of the above (only using coriander is too strong, I find)
Pictured below is rocket/arugula with cashews (left) and walnuts (right).
Chunky or smooth?
Pesto can be a bit on the chunky side, or almost like a uniform green paste. It really comes down to personal preferences or what you’re using it for, but smoother pesto yields a better flavour and greener colour throughout whatever you toss it through.
Here’s a comparison of how pasta looks with chunky vs smooth. To be honest, I prefer the look of the chunky because I like the little green bits, but the flavour of the smoother one is better.
How I blitz pesto to make it really smooth
There’s 2 things that will help you get a really smooth pesto:
1. Ensuring there’s enough liquid to help it blitz. You’d think using the same recipe every time would mean constant results, but it doesn’t – because basil leaves can vary in how much water they hold.
So if you’re having trouble getting a smooth pesto, just add more liquid – oil, a touch of water or lemon juice (if you’re planning to use it for a pasta salad or you like a touch of tang in your hot pesto pasta)
2. The blitzing vehicle – Guess what, not all food processors are created equal! If yours isn’t powerful enough to make a really smooth pesto with 1 minute of blitzing, then give up, it’s not going to happen.
Instead, use a blender (you need to be diligent scraping it all out!), a Nutri-bullet (or spice grinder or similar) OR use a stick blender in a bowl.
This stick blender works exceptionally well! Watch the video and you’ll see.
Pesto uses
So much more than just pasta!! I’ve separated them between when I use smoother pesto and chunkier pesto.
Smoother pesto
Stirred through risotto or a creamy orzo
Pasta Salads
Salad dressings
Spreading on toast, crostinis
Chunkier pesto
Dip (like the store bought ones)
For dolloping on things – cooked proteins, roasted vegetables, steak
Potato salads
Making a dressing (add vinegar/lemon and shake/stir)
See the separate post I shared today for how to make a JUICY pesto pasta. Don’t just keep adding more and more oil, it makes it way to rich! – Nagi x
Basil pesto recipe
Watch how to make it
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Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cups / 60g / 2oz fresh basil leaves (tightly pack measuring cup, Note 1)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) parmesan, finely grated (tightly pack the cup)
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 garlic clove , small
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , best quality
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts – Preheat small skillet over medium high heat (no oil). Add pine nuts and toast until light brown. Immediately remove and let cool slightly.
- Blitz pesto – Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender. Blitz until finely chopped.
- Add oil while blitzing – With the motor running, slowly pour the oil in through the feeder tube. Blitz until smooth (or to desired consistency), adding a touch of extra oil (or water) if required to help it blitz.
- Handheld blender stick – Place all ingredients (including oil) in a bowl. Blitz with hand held blender until smooth.
Storage and Use:
- Store in a super airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freezer for 3 months. If it's not a super airtight container, smooth the surface and cover with a thin layer of olive oil – basil goes brown when in contact with air.
- Makes enough for: 300g/10oz dried pasta of choice (can stretch to 350g/12oz). See here for how to make a great simple pesto pasta!
Recipe Notes:
- Rocket/arugula, baby spinach, spinach, silverbeet, kale, parsley
- Walnuts, cashews (best sub for pine nuts), almonds, hazelnuts. Haven’t tried with seeds like sunflower seeds but I see no reason why they wouldn’t work (but I wouldn’t use with kale)
- Makes just short of 1 cup of pesto. Use for 300g/10oz pasta of choice to coat generously (3 large servings, 4 smallish servings), or up to 350g/12oz (4 standard servings).
Life of Dozer
Curls or a straighten today? Or just a general hair puff up?
After making this with my homegrown basil, I’ll never buy a commercial jar again.
Fabulous flavor!
Best pesto I’ve made. I added a splash of lemon juice as well. So good.
I have made this again and again and again. Wonderful, thank you Nagi.
This is the best! My kids love it. A friend of mine uses stems and flowers with the leaves and makes in bulk. He uses in preserving jars so it lasts-just make sure it’s covered with a film of oil. Any advice Nagi?
Fantastic formula. Instead of basil and pine nuts, I used kale and pumpkin seeds. A splash of lemon juice brightened it up. Yet another way to get kale into our diet. Thank you Nagi.
No basil at all? Yikes. Not sure that’s a flavor I’d want. 😂
You’d think, right? I was rather closed to the idea of kale pesto…until I tried it. I’ll admit that my palate isn’t as discerning as my son’s, but that magical trifecta of olive oil, garlic and parmesan does the trick for me. Give it a shot and then get back to me!
Tried this today! Substituted kale for basil and cashew for pinenut (that i have in my fridge, thanks for the substitution note!) and it tasted amazing!! Put it on spaghetti with chicken and baby tomatoes, family really loves it. Thank you!
Our basil has been very successful outside this year; so had plenty to make this simple, quick and very tasty pesto. Mixed it through some spaghetti and topped with fried chorizo- yum 😋
This recipe is wonderful! I use roasted garlic so it softens the garlic flavor and I make lots of it. I buy as much basil as I can carry at the farmers market and spend the day making pesto. We make 8oz. packages (using a vacuum sealer bag) and store in the freezer. This year we made 48 packages! All time high was 78 several years ago. It takes a day, but we get to enjoy fresh pesto year round!
Loved this this recipe and many more. I am a big fan of you and especially love the way you give substitutions for the ingredients in your notes.
Wonderful recipe. Will add this to my favourites.
This is the best pesto I have ever tasted. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes amazing. I have made it for some friends and family and they are always amazed!
This was fantastic. It inspired me to use up the last of the basil from my garden, I used roasted cashews, and tossed it straight through hot pasta (with pre-fried chorizo).
Absolutely love this recipe! I
added the whole amount to cooked pasta and pan fried diced cooked chicken (tossed in Italian herbs and halved cherry tomatoes.
So delicious that my husband is now a lover of pasta.
Delicious and easy. I add a bit of coarse-ground salt to mine – it helps to grind the basil. I also add lemon juice and just a little lemon zest for a nice fresh flavour. And instead of pine nuts, which are super-expensive or other nuts, as i have a nut allergy, i use sunflower seeds and they work great.
It’s so delicious! Family loves it!
So so flavourful – I also added a large green chilli and some garlic chives ( only because they were growing next to my basil ) My Husband – the taste tester was very impressed and was surprised how delicious it was. Thanks again Nagi for an amazing recipe!
Absolutely delicious!
I will NEVER buy store-bought pesto again (unless desperate)
I subbed with Pistachio as that’s a favourite variant for me.
Delicious.
Nagi you nailed it again. So easy to make nutritious and very tasty