Basil Pesto (Easy Homemade Pesto Recipe)

Name: Basil Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ⅓ cup pine nuts; 2 cloves garlic (peeled); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground); ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh); 4 cups fresh basil (loosely packed); ½ cup olive oil (extra virgin); ½ cup Parmesan cheese (finely grated); 1 tablespoon pine nuts

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Basil Pesto is a fresh, bright green sauce you make in a food processor in about 10 minutes. One batch turns a plain pot of spaghetti into dinner.

Fresh basil leaves blended with rich pine nuts, garlic, salty Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, and extra virgin olive oil.

Wooden spoon holding fresh Basil Pesto above a bowl.

Table of Contents

I keep a jar in the fridge most weeks once the basil at the store looks good. It goes on spaghetti the first night, and the last spoonfuls end up on sandwiches and roasted vegetables. The jar is usually empty before I think about freezing any.

Recipe Highlights

Ready in 10 minutes with no cooking
One food processor and one rubber spatula
Nine ingredients, one quick blend
Freezes in ice cube trays for later
One batch coats a full pound of pasta

Ingredient Notes

Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

BASIL – One large bunch or a 4-ounce package gives you 4 loosely packed cups of leaves. Pull the leaves off the stems. Leaves alone blend smooth.

PINE NUTS – Look for them with the other nuts or in the baking aisle. Keep the opened bag in the fridge or freezer, and they stay fresh for months.

PARMESAN – Finely grated Parmesan blends in smoothest. The sandy kind from the refrigerated case works well, and a wedge you grate yourself works even better.

GARLIC – Two peeled cloves go in whole, and the food processor chops them for you. Jarred minced garlic works too. Use 1 teaspoon per clove.

SEASONINGS – Table salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. The flakes stay mild at this amount, so the whole family can eat it. Add a pinch more if you like a little heat.

OLIVE OIL – Extra virgin, and pick one you like the taste of on its own, since it goes in raw. Pour it in slowly with the motor running.

How To Make Basil Pesto

Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Pine nuts, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a food processor bowl for Basil Pesto.

Fresh basil leaves piled in a food processor bowl for Basil Pesto.

Grated Parmesan sprinkled over blended green Basil Pesto in a food processor.

Finished Basil Pesto blended smooth in a food processor bowl.

Pulse the pine nuts, garlic, seasonings, and lemon juice until the nuts are finely chopped.
Scrape the bowl, add the basil, and pulse until the leaves are finely chopped.
With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil.
Add the Parmesan and pulse a few times to combine.

Spoonful of chunky Basil Pesto over plain spaghetti.

Leftovers and Storage

STORE – Spoon the pesto into a small jar or airtight container. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top before the lid goes on. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

FREEZE – Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze until solid. Pop the cubes into a freezer bag, where they keep for up to 3 months. Freezing is also what the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends for keeping pesto longer.

REHEAT – Pesto doesn’t need reheating. Toss it with hot, just-drained pasta and a splash of the pasta water. Thaw frozen cubes in the refrigerator overnight, or drop them straight into hot pasta and stir until they melt.

MAKE AHEAD – Make it a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator with the oil layer on top. Stir before serving.

More Easy and Delicious Recipes

Serving Suggestions

WEEKNIGHT PASTA – Toss the whole batch with a pound of spaghetti and a splash of pasta water. Add Air Fryer Garlic Bread on the side and dinner is done.

DATE NIGHT IN – Spoon it over Air Fryer Salmon or Chicken Caprese right before serving, with Roasted Potatoes on the side.

POTLUCK – Stir a few spoonfuls into Pesto Pasta Salad in place of the jarred kind. It travels well and tastes good at room temperature.

SOUP NIGHT – Stir it into Italian Meatball Soup right before serving, in place of the store-bought pesto.

Overhead view of Basil Pesto topped with pine nuts and a wooden spoon in the bowl.

Recipe Success Tips

DRY BASIL – Wash the leaves, then dry them all the way in a salad spinner or between two kitchen towels. Dry leaves give you a thick pesto that clings to the pasta.

SHORT PULSES – Pulse in short bursts and stop as soon as the basil is finely chopped. Quick pulses keep the blades cool and the pesto bright green.

TOASTED PINE NUTS – For a deeper, nuttier flavor, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Shake the pan often and cool them before they go in.

TASTE AND ADJUST – Taste after the Parmesan goes in. Add a pinch more salt or another squeeze of lemon if it needs it. Parmesan brands vary in saltiness, so the final pinch is yours.

EXPERT TIP – Starting with a wedge of Parmesan? Cut it into 1-inch chunks and run them in the empty food processor until they look like coarse sand. Scoop the cheese out, set it aside, and build the pesto in the same bowl.

Commonly Asked Questions

Why Did My Pesto Turn Brown

Basil pesto darkens when the cut basil meets air, the same way a cut apple browns. The pesto is still safe to eat within its 4 days. The flavor barely changes, only the color does. Stir it, and the bright green from underneath comes back to the top. A darker batch disappears into a bowl of pasta anyway.

Can I Make Pesto in a Blender?

Yes, a blender works, and a high-powered one works best. Add the oil with the other ingredients instead of pouring it in at the end. Most blenders need the liquid to get moving. Stop and scrape the sides a few times. Blend in short bursts so the pesto keeps some texture.

How Much Pesto for a Pound of Pasta?

One batch, about 1 cup, coats a full pound of pasta. Save ½ cup of the pasta water before draining, then toss the hot pasta with the pesto and a few spoonfuls of water. Add more water until the pesto coats every strand. Here is how far one batch goes on other dishes.

Dish	Pesto	Tip
1 pound pasta	Whole batch, about 1 cup	Thin with pasta water
12-inch pizza	¼ cup	Spread thin, then add cheese
Sandwich or wrap	1 tablespoon	Spread on both slices
Grilled chicken or fish	1 to 2 tablespoons per piece	Spoon on after cooking

Close-up of chunky Basil Pesto on a wooden spoon above a ceramic bowl.

More Homemade Sauces and Dressings

Homemade sauces take minutes and taste like you fussed. Here are four more I keep in rotation.

Alfredo Sauce – Butter, cream, and Parmesan for your next fettuccine night.

Romesco Sauce – A roasted red pepper and almond sauce for chicken, fish, and crusty bread.

Italian Dressing – A zesty homemade dressing for green salads and pasta salads.

Chipotle Mayo – Smoky, spicy mayo for burgers, tacos, and fries.

Forkful of spaghetti lightly coated with Basil Pesto.

Maike Corbett

Maike Corbett grew up in German kitchens learning to cook and bake alongside her Omas before spending over a decade running full-service restaurants in the US. She founded Cheerful Cook in 2017 to share practical, tested comfort food recipes that actually work on busy weeknights, drawing on both her American restaurant experience and her German home-cooking roots. Her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo, the Associated Press, and other major media outlets.