Easy Basil Pesto
This Easy Basil Pesto combines fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, pine nuts, and olive oil. It’s a simple sauce that comes together in minutes and is perfect for serving with pasta, bread, chicken, and a variety of other dishes!
Pesto is one of my many great loves in life.
There’s the hubster (obviously), pizza, chai lattes, coffee, crème brulee, pasta, mushrooms, mozzarella, caprese anything, and pesto. Actually, I could add about 100 more items to this list, but I’ll keep it short and sweet for you today.
So, it kind of baffles me as to why it took me this long to make my own pesto sauce. I mean, I am a food blogger and I consume pesto as much as I can, so what was I waiting for?
Well, I’m happy to report that I checked off a must-make dish that’s on my bucket list of recipes to make! Speaking of bucket lists, do you have one specifically for food? I guess it’s only natural that I do, since I blog as my full-time job, but instead of getting shorter, it just keeps getting longer! But that’s ok, because it means that I will never run out of ideas or new creations.
This Easy Basil Pesto combines fresh basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, pine nuts, and olive oil. It’s a simple sauce that comes together in minutes and is perfect for serving with pasta, bread, chicken, and a variety of other dishes!
If pesto anything makes your heart beat just a little bit fast, then this Easy Basil Pesto was made for you. After all, it’s simple to prepare, which is my motto here on Pumpkin ‘N Spice!
And the uses for this Easy Basil Pesto are endless! Pour it over some pasta, toss it with some rice, stuff it into chicken, spread it onto some toasted bread…see what I mean? Or, if you’re like me, you could almost eat it by the spoonful, it’s just that good!
Did I mention how quick this Easy Basil Pesto is to prepare? Simply toss the ingredients into a food processor and blend away. It’s important to drizzle in the olive oil slowly so that it incorporates to the mixture, without separating too much.
Within minutes, this Easy Basil Pesto is ready to be devoured. It also stores well in the refrigerator or freezer, so that you can always have a jar of deliciousness on-hand.
So grab that food processor and the ingredients to make this flavorful and simple Easy Basil Pesto!
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to see how quick this Easy Basil Pesto is to make!
Easy Basil Pesto {Plus a Video!}
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of food processor, add the basil and pine nuts. Pulse several times until combined. Scrape the sides of bowl, if needed.
- Add Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until it comes together.
- Slowly add in olive oil while processor is running. Scrape down sides of bowl, if needed.
- Store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to one week (or the freezer for up to two months).
Hah hah! I think it’s funny that your “great loves in life” include your husband…and the rest are FOOD! 🙂 You’re obviously in the right career! 🙂
Pesto is one of the kitchen staples in our house, too. The kids adore it on pasta, so it’s an easy solution when I haven’t planned anything else. Your recipe looks delicious!
Haha I didn’t even notice that! Very true, though! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words, Blair!
I’m with you on the pizza and creme brulee! More. Always. Please!
The fact that you put parm in this takes it over the TOP. It must be so good on, well, everything. But I could eat it straight up!
Mmm now I’m craving pizza and creme brulee, but that’s pretty much an every day craving for me! 🙂 And yes, the parm makes this pesto SO good!
Pesto is right up there in at least the top 10 of my favorite foods! It’s always just SO flavorful and makes anything and everything taste amazing! I’m a sucker for a good classic basil pesto and this looks insaaaaanely awesome, Gayle!
Thanks, Sarah! Pesto is like a magical ingredient, it’s good on just about everything!
Oh boy…do I love pesto too (and all those things you mentioned….now I’m hungry 😀 ). I made basil pesto a week or so ago and, like yourself, could eat by the spoonful. How does something so simple, taste so awesome? It’s what dreams are made of, lol. Your pesto looks amazing. Gimme right now with some scrambled eggs and coffee, please 🙂 Food bucket list? Let me think…..maybe some kind of specialty bread….you know, something that takes like all day to make. There’s so many things I want to make, just having the time to do it (and being able to burn off the calories from all the eating, lol). Pinning! Hope you have a lovely weekend, Gayle! xo
I love your idea of pesto with scrambled eggs! I might just have to try that! And yes, there’s just not enough time to make everything AND to burn off all those calories from eating it! 🙂 Thank you for the kind words and pin, Dawn! Hope you have a great weekend, too!
I love pesto! It’s my favorite summer meal! This looks amazing!
Thanks, Kelly!
Love pizza and creme brulee, but I also like pesto a lot! This looks perfect! Great video! Pinning!
Thanks for the pesto love and pin, Mira!
Your pesto looks so fresh and springtime-y! Delicious. It took me a long time to make my own pesto too. Not sure why. Some brands in the store can be kind of expensive, and who knows if there’s extra junk in there? I’m really craving this drizzled on some chewy flatbread!
Homemade pesto is definitely the best! Thanks, Amanda!
I loooooove pesto too! I put it in EVERYTHING — it adds so much flavor! I confess though that I’m often too lazy to make my own. Lol. Now’s the time to start!
Once you try homemade pesto, you’ll never go back! 🙂
I ADORE pesto on literally everything! Aaand I bought tons and tons of basil yesterday cause they only had giant containers, and I only need a teensy bit for my recipe today, so it looks like the stars are aligned! Totally making my own pesto! Yum 🙂
Isn’t pesto the best?! Especially in the summer…it’s just so fresh!
Oh man, pesto is one of my favorite things ever, and this version looks perfect!! Pinned :).
Thanks, Annie!
Gayle your favorites list is just about my favorites list! So so so good. We had basil plants that grew like crazy when I growing up, so homemade basil pesto was a weekly occurrence in my house. I love it!
I need to plant my own basil…fresh is just the best! Thanks, Alyssa!
pesto is my favorite, nothing like a classic!
Yes!! Thanks, Manali!
I don’t have a list per se, but at one point I was trying to cook my way through this series on Epicurious called ‘Around the world in 80 dishes’…it was the signature dish from each country and I loved it! If I had more time I’d do that again 🙂 This looks delicious, Gayle I love making pesto from scratch and your version looks like perfection!
Oh that sounds so fun, Denise! I bet you learned a lot about different cultures. Thanks for the pesto love!
Pesto makes everything better, isn’t it?! This look amazing girl!
Definitely! 🙂 Thanks, Ami!
Hooray for Basil Season, which also means Pesto Season! This one is a classic – thanks for sharing, and love the video!!
Thank you, Kate!
Oh yes, pesto is definitely a favorite of mine too! Especially in the summer when I have soooo much fresh basil to use up! It’s just SO flavorful and you can use it on almost anything. Yours looks delicious!! <3
I need to start planting basil! I bet yours is the best! Thanks, Jess!
Love love homemade pesto especially during the summer once our basil plants grow. Yours looks perfect, Gayle! I want to put this on everything!
Thank you, Kelly!
Gayle, your pesto is just gorgeous! I love how you absolutely just nailed the perfect pesto color. Seriously. I really enjoyed and chuckled a bit reading your list of your great loves in life. It is weird that I completely understand that food comprises much of that list? 😉 Glad that you got a chance to check something off of your bucket list. The feeling is just satisfying! Hope you have an awesome weekend, G! Pinning this. xo
Thank you, Demeter! Haha I guess we wouldn’t be food bloggers if our loves didn’t involve food, right? 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Fresh basil is my weakness, I eat the leaves right off the stem sometimes lol 🙂 This is a great recipe and it is so sooo simple, thanks for sharing! This pesto will be great before and with dinner when I have company over!
Thank you for the kind words and for stopping by, Cindy! I love fresh basil too…makes such a difference in dishes!