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Home Pasta

Pesto!

By:Nagi
Published:20 Feb '19Updated:17 Feb '23
79 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Homemade Pesto in a handmade ceramic bowl
Pesto pasta spaghetti on a plate, ready to be eaten

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!

What goes in pesto

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).

Pesto with rocket arugula and cashews or walnuts in a rustic bowl, ready to be eaten

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.

Chunkier vs smooth pesto
Comparison and chunkier vs smooth pesto pasta

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.

How to make pesto

Pesto uses

So much more than just pasta!! I’ve separated them between when I use smoother pesto and chunkier pesto.

  • Smoother pesto

    • Pesto pasta

    • 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

Fork twirling pesto pasta

Basil pesto recipe
Watch how to make it

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Pesto

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Total: 10 minutes mins
Condiments, Pasta
American-Italian
4.91 from 30 votes
Servings1 cup
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 11
Recipe video above. This is how I make basil pesto. Make it smooth for the best flavour when tossed through pasta, or chunkier if you want to use it as a dip. See in post for a list of chunky vs smooth and a list of uses! Also see how to use pesto to make a JUICY Pesto Pasta (hint: it’s not just pasta and 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:

1. Basil – important to use FRESH basil leaves here, not basil that’s been in your fridge for a week (goes brown when blitzed!)
If using cup measures for the basil, press the leaves in tightly to measure (else you will be short).
2. Variations – Use the same ratios above and switch the basil/pinenuts for any of the following:
  • 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)
3. General
  • 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).
Keywords: Pesto recipe, What goes in pesto
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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79 Comments

  1. Amanda says

    December 7, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  2. Emma W says

    November 30, 2023 at 9:31 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  3. Emma W says

    November 30, 2023 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    I will NEVER buy store-bought pesto again (unless desperate)

    Reply
  4. Robert Hindle says

    November 9, 2023 at 3:07 am

    I subbed with Pistachio as that’s a favourite variant for me.

    Delicious.

    Reply
  5. Rose says

    July 1, 2023 at 4:56 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi you nailed it again. So easy to make nutritious and very tasty

    Reply
  6. Carla says

    June 25, 2023 at 8:40 am

    5 stars
    I made this last night using rocket (not a fan of too much basil) via the handheld blender stick method – sooooo easy, but more importantly DELICIOUS!

    Reply
  7. Jay says

    June 16, 2023 at 3:53 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this – decided to follow a recipe rather than ‘wing it’. Sooooo glad I did. It is delicious.

    Reply
  8. AMF says

    June 13, 2023 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious and very easy. I used it to make the Pesto Pasta recipe on this website which was great.

    Reply
  9. SRigby says

    May 24, 2023 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    Our go to pesto recipe always. It is the absolute best and we always double it, because, it’s just that good.!! Thank you 😉

    Reply
  10. Miren says

    April 25, 2023 at 7:03 pm

    So good!!!!

    Reply
  11. Vivien Wessels says

    March 29, 2023 at 2:09 am

    4 stars
    In S Africa macadamia nuts work well. If you slightly wilt the basil in an oiled, heated non-stick pan the basil stays green and doesn’t discolour

    Reply
  12. ShellBell says

    September 8, 2022 at 6:49 am

    5 stars
    Nagi thankyou so much for such fantastic recipes. You’ve inspired my cooking journey and your recipes are great even when you want a quick easy dinner. I made this pesto last night and it was perfect. Love your work!! 😊

    Reply
  13. Rachel says

    May 21, 2022 at 10:25 am

    Can you make this pesto without the nuts?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 21, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      Yes Rachel there are sub notes under the recipe. You could also try seeds for more texture! N x

      Reply
  14. Kathy says

    April 26, 2022 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! Not sure if there is a standard density for pine nuts, but for me a quarter cup is about 35 g.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 26, 2022 at 5:43 pm

      That’s good to know Kathy! Thanks!! N X

      Reply
  15. Ian says

    February 4, 2022 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made your pesto about a dozen times now as it’s my two year old granddaughter’s favourite meal. The whole family loves it. The only change I make is three large garlic cloves. Thanks.

    Reply
  16. Julie Jordan says

    February 1, 2022 at 5:09 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and so easy.

    Reply
  17. Lyn says

    December 21, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    Hi Nagi. I just made your basil Pesto recipe with home grown basil, but accidently added 1 tablespoon of salt!!! Don’t ask 🙁
    Anyhow, do you have a magic solution to make it taste less salty? I was wondering about adding some lemon juice? Thanks in anticipation Nagi. x

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 22, 2021 at 11:53 pm

      Hi Lyn – I think the only solution there is to scale up the recipe, sorry! N x

      Reply
  18. Lauren says

    November 23, 2021 at 8:23 am

    Amazing as always, thank you! Even though it’s green, the 5 year old absolutely loved it- had 3 servings! The 2 year old gobbled it down too. So quick and easy too.

    Reply
  19. Malia says

    September 29, 2021 at 3:50 am

    Love all your recipes, Nagi, so I had to try your pesto (formulas)! I only had about 1 cup of basil leaves, so I used spinach as a sub. However, I used macadamia nuts (I’ve tried this once before and it turned out delicious) and it was awesome! No need for additional salt since the freshly grated Parmesan + roasted mac nuts already provided that extra flavor. Would highly recommend, if you have access to it! Will have to add a squeeze of lemon juice to it too for an even more fresh zing😍

    Reply
  20. camilla says

    September 22, 2021 at 12:26 am

    ive read somewhere you shouldn’t reheat pesto sauce? I need to make it a day ahead, should I just add it at roomtemp next day to the hot pasta you think?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 22, 2021 at 5:50 pm

      Hi Camilla, yes just let it come to room temp before adding. N x

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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