Basil Pesto Recipe
This homemade basil pesto is fresh, garlicky, and packed with flavor. Made with toasted garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and lemon, it’s perfect for tossing with pasta, dolloping on pizza, or spreading on bread. Once you make it from scratch, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- 1/3 cup pine nuts lightly toasted
- 4 large garlic cloves peeled and toasted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1–2 tablespoons more if needed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toast the Pine Nuts and Garlic – In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts and whole, peeled garlic cloves for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly.
- Blend the Base Ingredients – In a food processor, combine the toasted pine nuts, peeled garlic cloves, lemon juice, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Add Basil – Add the fresh basil leaves and pulse again until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Stream in Olive Oil – With the processor running, slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil. If you'd like a thinner consistency, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more olive oil and pulse again.
- Add Parmesan – Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse just a few more times until evenly incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.