Do you make your own Pesto di Basilico (basil pesto)? Or do you go with store-bought? Guys, if you don't make your own homemade basil pesto you are seriously missing out! It's super easy, no-cook, goes-with-just-about-everything and tastes ah-maze-ing!
This pesto di basilico recipe is a 5 minute wonder that you can probably do in 4! All you need is basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice (and salt) in a food processor and you have basil pesto.
Bonus points for also not having any weird ingredients on the back of the jar that have numbers or that you haven't heard of (and don't sound like food).
Pesto di basilico (basil pesto) is also known as pesto alla genovese (Genoese pesto) and is traditionally made using basil.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this pesto di basilico (basil pesto)
- It's fast and easy.
- It's low carb.
- You know what's in it.
- It's a versatile sauce that provides maximum flavour for minimal effort.
What you will need to make pesto di basilico
- basil leaves
- parmesan cheese
- pine nuts
- garlic
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- salt
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make pesto di basilico
- Put parmesan and garlic into a food processor.
- Process.
- Add basil and pine nuts and process until finely chopped.
- Add olive oil and process.
- Add lemon juice to taste.
- Add salt to taste.
Top tips
- Remove and discard the "core" or "germ" in the center of the fresh garlic clove before using the garlic cloves in this pesto recipe. This will give a smoother taste to the pesto.
- Depending on the size of your garlic cloves (and how much of a garlic tragic you are!) feel free to use one clove or two.
- When adding the lemon juice and salt you want to do this in small amounts. This recipe makes roughly ⅔ of a cup of pesto and a small amount of seasoning makes a big difference.
How to store pesto di basilico
Once you finish making the pesto, immediately place it into a small air-tight container. Smooth out the top of the pesto to level it, then pour a layer of olive oil over the top to completely cover it, then place in the fridge.
This will stop the pesto oxidizing (going black) and keep it fresh for weeks.
Where did pesto originate from?
Pesto originated in Genoa, a city in north-western Italy.
Variations and serving suggestions
- If you don't want to use pine nuts, you could substitute cashews.
- Rocket (arugula) makes a great substitute for basil in pesto too.
- Another interesting variation is pesto calabrese (red pepper pesto) using chargrilled peppers.
- Basil pesto is awesome used in sandwiches like this Grilled Cheese with Prosciutto.
- Or in salads like this Pesto and Tomato Salad.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Pesto Crumbed Lamb Racks - oven roasted racks of lamb with a golden crust of breadcrumbs flavoured with basil pesto.
Basil Pesto Butter - all the flavours of basil pesto in a super easy compound butter. Perfect for your next salmon fillet or loaf of garlic bread.
Pesto Lamb Cutlets with Prosciutto - tender juicy lamb cutlets brushed with basil pesto then wrapped in prosciutto - yum!
Cream Cheese Pesto Chicken - moist tender chicken breasts topped with cream cheese and basil pesto then oven baked for an easy low-carb dinner.
Salmon with Pesto - fresh salmon fillets, topped with basil pesto and panko crumbs then oven-baked. Dinner in 20 minutes!
Pesto Calabrese - (red pepper pesto) - sweet, smoky chargrilled peppers (capsicums) in a fast and easy pesto.
Pesto Rosso - a classic pesto sauce with sun dried tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil, parmesan and olive oil.
Pesto di Basilico (Basil Pesto)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups fresh basil leaves firmly packed
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic core removed
- 50 g fresh parmesan cheese no need to grate or chop
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Put parmesan (50g) and garlic (1 - 2 cloves) into a food processor and process until chopped.
- Add basil leaves (1½ cups - firmly packed) and pine nuts (¼ cup) and process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Add olive oil (¼ cup) and process to combine.
- Add lemon juice and salt to taste.
Notes
- Remove and discard the "core" or "germ" in the center of the fresh garlic clove before using the garlic cloves in this pesto recipe. This will give a smoother taste to the pesto.
- Depending on the size of your garlic cloves (and how much of a garlic tragic you are!) feel free to use one clove or two.
- When adding the lemon juice and salt you want to do this in small amounts. This recipe makes roughly ⅔ of a cup of pesto and a small amount of seasoning makes a big difference.
Basil pesto is my fave, I love to use it as a pizza base instead of a tomato based sauce. So good! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure Lianna! I use this pesto on pizza too, great minds think alike!
Hi Lee-Ann, From one Aussie (Hills district) to another - Love the idea of homemade pesto as you mentioned, we don't know what's in store bought like the sugar. Since hubby and I are on the "Keto" menu this is right up our alley. My question is - can you tell me how long this keeps and of course in the fridge? I would love any "NO CARBS" recipes you can throw our way.
Hi Josephine, once I make my pesto I put it in an airtight container then pour a thickish layer of oil on top to stop any oxidisation - I make sure the whole surface is well covered with at least 1/2 to 1 cm of oil then pop the lid on & keep it in the fridge for about a month. (Sometimes a bit more!) I'm no expert on food expiry etc but we haven't had a problem eating it yet!
As for no carb recipes - Pesto Lamb Prosciutto Cutlets (don't let the bad photo fool you - BEST CUTLETS EVER - usually my husband's birthday meal!) Chicken Tenders with Whole Grain Mustard Cream Sauce & Oven Roasted Lamb Ribs with Yoghurt Mint & Garlic Sauce just to name a few of my favourites!
Hope that isn't too forward???? 🙂
Thanks so much for taking the time to write in, I really appreciate it!
Lee-Ann & fellow NSW Aussie! x
Thank you! I thought that 5 1/2 cups of basil leaves was a lot! Thank you for responding! I am sure that I'll love this recipe!
No problem, sorry about the confusion! I have just fixed it...thanks for bringing it to my attention, and thanks for looking at my blog!
You're welcome!
Do you need 5 1/2 cups or 1 1/2 cups of basil leaves? The recipe on the orinal pin says 5 1/2 cups and when you click the make it button, the recipe says 1 1/2 cups. Thank you!
Hi Nancy!
You only need 1 1/2 cups of basil leaves - not sure how I got to 5 1/2 cups when pinterest converted it - that's a lot of basil! Thanks so much for reaching out and asking - I will fix it. PS you are my first ever comment Woo Hoo!!! Hope you like the pesto L x