Basil Pesto
- Makes 4 servings
- Prep 5 minutes
- Total 5 minutes
A classic and basic recipe for Basil Pesto (A.K.A the best sauce in the world). Made with only five ingredients this intense, flavour packed basil pesto is suited to dressing pasta, salads, on sandwiches, pizza and so much more!
This has to be our favourite “sauce” ever, we mean, whoever discovered that fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, pecorino (or parmesan), and olive oil all mashed together makes the most good tasting green gold that makes anything and everything taste good (seriously) THANK YOU!
Pesto Alla Genovese – Where it Comes From
Basil pesto originates from Genoa, Liguria and is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle. The authentic recipe uses pine nuts, although if you don't have them cashews, pistachios, almonds and walnuts all make great substitutes It's also good with a little chilli kick.
We had it this way once in a small family restaurant in Siena, and it inspired us to create this gnocchi with walnut and chilli pesto recipe check out the recipe if you fancy adding a little spice to your pesto.
Basil Pesto – step by step
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and blitz everything together using a hand-held (immersion) blender to create a smooth sauce (add more olive oil if necessary).
Easy right? Boil some pasta and toss the pesto through it, dress spinach for a side or salad or spread it on sandwiches. Also check out our sun-dried tomato pesto recipe it's as easy and can be used in so many ways.
Top Tips for Making the Best Basil Pesto
- Use fresh Italian basil for best results and don't use any with black spots or that has wilted
- Use good quality Italian olive oil
- If you don't have pine nuts you can replace them with cashew or walnuts
- Traditionally a mix of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano is used but you can use one or the other to keep the cost down
- You can keep pesto in the fridge for 1 day it may oxidise and turn brown so give it a stir to refresh it
More ways to use pesto
- Pasta alla Montecarlo (a creamy meat sauce with pesto)
- Pesto and roasted tomato pizza
- Pesto provolone cannelloni
- Sour cream pesto dip with prosciutto dippers
- Chicken pesto ciabatta
- Easy Pesto Gnocchi
- Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto)
- The Easiest Red Pesto Recipe (Sun-dried Tomato)
- Parsley Pesto Recipe – Fresh And Easy
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings
- 2 cups (30g) basil
- 1/8 cup (15g) pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp (45ml) olive oil
- 1/4 cup (25g) pecorino or parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
Method
Put all ingredients in a bowl apart from the salt and pepper.
Blitz the ingredients into a smooth sauce using a hand-held blender (or use a food processor) then season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if necessary.
Kitchen notes
Please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements all imperial measurements are approximate.
- Use fresh Italian basil for best results and don't use any with black spots or that has wilted
- Use good quality Italian olive oil
- If you don't have pine nuts you can replace them with cashew or walnuts
- Traditionally a mix of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano is used but you can use one or the other to keep the cost down
- You can keep pesto in the fridge for 1 day it may oxidise and turn brown so give it a stir to refresh it
