Pesto is one of my favorite things to make every summer. There is just nothing quite like a fresh, classic basil pesto. 

Whether you have your own garden and have a huge basil harvest or you buy basil at a local farmers market, this recipe is sure to impress. 

Ingredients

One of the reasons I always prefer to make things from scratch is to control the ingredients. Sure, that Costco pesto is appealing, but let’s skip the sunflower oil and preservatives and make our own! I’ll even show you a great way to store it. 

• Basil – There is no substitute for fresh basil! Grow your own or support your local farmers market if possible!
• Pine nuts – I tend to stick to pine nuts, just because it’s the classic way to make pesto, but you can basically substitute any nut! 
• Garlic – You HAVE to use fresh garlic here. None of that jarred minced stuff. Fresh is superior, thank me later. 
• Lemon – Less important to squeeze your own lemon juice here, but I still recommend fresh squeezed for the brightness. 
• Parmesan – Salty, buttery, freshly grated parmesan will elevate this pesto. Don’t settle on the non refrigerated stuff here. 

How to make pesto

Basil pesto is super easy to make and comes together in just a few minutes!

• I highly recommend toasting the pine nuts. Place nuts into a small frying pan on medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while you get everything else ready. 
• To a blender or food processor add all ingredients except olive oil and basil. 
• Blend until it reaches your preferred consistency. I prefer to have a smooth texture. 
• Add in basil leaves and mix with a spatula. This helps with the blending so the leaves don’t get stuck to the edges.
• If using a food processor, you can add the olive oil gradually. If using a blender, I find that it’s okay to add in the oil and basil at the same time. 
• Pulse/blend until the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Do not over blend! You do not want the mixture to be completely smooth. 

Uses for Pesto

• Pasta – obvious answer! Put pesto on any noodle and you won’t be disappointed. 
• Garlic bread – use it as a bread dip or use it in place of butter when making garlic bread.
• Top chicken or fish – an easy way to add flavor to any chicken or fish dish
• Top scrambled eggs – don’t knock it until you try it, it is *so* good
• Spread – use it as a sandwich spread or the sauce on homemade pizza

Storage

If you are going to store your pesto in the fridge, the best way to retain its color is to store it in a jar and pour some olive oil on top. This will make sure no oxygen gets to the pesto and will prevent it from browning. This method will work for roughly 7-10 days. 

My preferred method of storing pesto is freezing it. I use silicone food trays to freeze it in ½ cup or 1 cup portions. Once it’s frozen, I remove them from the tray and put them in a plastic (or silicone bag).

I have also frozen pesto in jars. This takes up more space in the freezer and you run the risk of a jar breaking. However, even though I prefer the silicone mold method, I will use jars when I know I want to give some pesto to a friend. 

The recipe below is for 1 cup, however, I always just harvest as much basil as I can and then multiply the recipe accordingly.