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Splash of Taste – Vegetarian Recipes

Splash of Taste - Vegetarian Recipes

Easy veggie recipes

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Home / Vegetarian

Basil pesto recipe

Published November 27, 2021 | Updated November 12, 2022 | By Mandy & Jane

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Incredibly fresh, our homemade basil pesto is a joy to eat, it’s got lots of extra virgin olive oil, and a little lemon juice and has a nutty, cheesy, basil flavor that is better than any jar of store-bought sauce. We love making fresh pesto, it’s seriously tasty and so quick to make, we like to make batches and store them in the freezer for whenever we need a quick tasty sauce.

Bowl of freshly made pesto with grated Parmesan cheese, lemon, pine nuts, fresh herbs and almonds.

Why you’ll love our pesto recipe

  • It’s super simple and requires zero cooking, anybody can make it!
  • The taste of fresh basil pesto is amazing, you’ll wonder why you ever bought a jar of it!
  • It stores really well, 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
  • It’s 100% vegetarian.

Our homemade basil pesto recipe is just begging to be doubled up, one portion for now and one for the freezer, you’ll never run out again.

Ingredients needed to make homemade basil pesto, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, lemon for lemon juice, blanched almonds, garlic cloves & pine nuts.

What does pesto taste like?

Pesto has a delicious nutty, cheesy, herby flavor to it.

The nutty flavor comes from the pine nuts and blanched almonds that we use.

The cheesy flavor is thanks to vegetarian Parmesan cheese.

We use basil to give our pesto that tasty herby flavor.

Garlic and lemon also are part of our pesto, helping to give a wonderful fresh taste to it.

Is pesto vegetarian?

Not all pesto is vegetarian because not all Parmesan cheese is vegetarian.

We have created a vegetarian pesto recipe that everyone can eat in confidence.

The great thing is, that nobody could tell the difference!

Do you wash basil leaves before making pesto?

Yes, it’s important to wash your basil leaves before making your pesto.

Don’t immerse the leaves in water, just rinse them and dry them immediately.

You need to rinse the basil leaves to ensure that any dirt or bugs that may be on the leaves are washed off.

What kind of nuts do you use for making pesto?

For our basil pesto recipe, we’ve used pine nuts and blanched almonds, but they can easily be replaced with walnuts, pistachios, macadamia, or peanuts.

You can even try making pesto with seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can all work too.

Which pasta goes well with pesto?

Spaghetti is screaming out for a fresh basil pesto sauce!

Other kinds of pasta that would also be great are rigatoni, fusilli, or farfalle (bow-tie pasta).

A bowl of delicious homemade basil pesto with pine nuts, fresh lemon & fresh basil leaves.

What equipment do I need to make homemade pesto?

To make our basil pesto recipe quickly and easily, you’ll need a food processor or blender.

A food processor will dramatically cut down the time it takes to make this delicious sauce,

If you haven’t got a food processor then don’t worry, you can still make it, it just needs extra effort.

Just get a sharp knife and chop all the ingredients, they need to be very finely chopped, and use grated parmesan cheese instead of chunks of cheese.

What can you substitute for Parmesan cheese in pesto?

We always use vegetarian Parmesan cheese in our homemade basil pesto sauce.

Parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian, it contains animal rennet, but stores are increasingly stocking vegetarian Parmesan, which is great news.

You may also see Italian hard cheese which is vegetarian, this is a great substitute for Parmesan cheese.

Please note that pecorino romano is not vegetarian.

Close up of delicious pesto made from scratch.

Can pesto be eaten raw?

Yes, it can.

The whole appeal of a basil pesto recipe is that you eat it raw, you’ll add it as a sauce to cooked spaghetti, but you wouldn’t cook it.

What does pesto go well with?

We all know that pesto pasta is delicious, but what else can you use this tasty basil pesto sauce for?

Added to bruschetta, basil pesto helps to make a delicious appetizer.

Spread a generous helping on a sandwich, in a wrap or ciabatta with grilled cheese.

Add basil pesto to a pizza instead of a tomato sauce.

Add a little to your favorite soup.

Make a dip out of it, simply add it to Fromage frais, soft cheese, or Greek yogurt.

Try adding it to mashed potato!

Add it to roasted vegetables, mushrooms, pumpkin, or squash.

So as you can see, this homemade pesto recipe is very flexible.

How do I store it?

Your new favorite pesto recipe stores very well.

Store leftover pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Alternatively, you can store any leftover pesto in the freezer as it will freeze for up to 3 months – what’s not to love about our basil pesto recipe?

Bowl of freshly made pesto with grated Parmesan cheese, lemon, pine nuts, fresh herbs and almonds.

Recipe notes and expert tips

  • Freezing your basil pesto?
    Freeze your leftover pesto in tablespoon portions, in ice cube trays, and once frozen pop them out, and store the pesto blocks in freezer bags.
  • Don’t have a food processor or blender?
    Use grated Parmesan cheese and chop all the ingredients, ensuring they are finely chopped as possible.
  • Got leftover toasted pine nuts?
    Scatter pine nuts over our mushroom pasta or on top of our four cheese lasagne.
  • Out of extra virgin olive oil?
    Not a problem just use olive oil instead, please note that olive oil spray won’t work, it needs to be olive oil in liquid form.

More easy sauce recipes for you to try

If you like our basil pesto, then why not give these delicious sauce recipes a try? Arrabiata sauce, marinara sauce, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, sour cream and chives, and curry sauce.

Homemade arrabiata sauce in a jar.

Arrabiata sauce recipe

Marinara sauce in a bowl and a mason jar.

Marinara sauce recipe

A bowl of fresh ranch dressing with chives and dill dressing, a jar full of dressing and lettuce leaves with ranch on them in the background.

Homemade ranch dressing recipe

Indian restaurant curry base sauce

Curry base sauce

Blue cheese dressing in a bowl.

Best blue cheese dressing recipe

Sour cream and chives dip in a bowl.

Sour cream and chives dip

Got leftover vegetarian Parmesan? Try these Parmesan garlic knots!

How to easily make pesto from fresh basil with step-by-step instructions

It’s easy to make homemade basil pesto if you follow our simple instructions.

A full printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

First, break up your Parmesan cheese and place it in your food processor or blender.

Process shots for how to make homemade basil pesto, in a food processor add Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts & almonds.

Next, add your fresh basil leaves, followed by fresh garlic clove, pine nuts, and blanched almonds.

Now add the zest of one lemon and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Process shots for how to make homemade basil pesto, add basil, garlic, pine nuts, almonds, lemon zest & lemon juice, add extra virgin olive oil, blitz.

Lastly, add in your extra virgin olive oil.

Secure the lid on your food processor or blender and blitz until you have a creamy smooth pesto.

Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

That’s it!

It’s ready to use – enjoy!

A bowl of delicious homemade basil pesto, with fresh herbs, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon and lemon juice.

We hope you enjoy making and eating our homemade basil pesto and would love to hear how you got with making it.

Please leave a comment below or feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Homemade basil pesto in a mortar on a board.
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Basil pesto recipe

Quick, easy, and bursting with nutty, basil flavor, our homemade basil pesto is an incredibly fresh sauce. It's very simple to make, and so much better than any pesto sauce from a jar! Double up and make a stash of pesto for your freezer!
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Servings14 tbsp
Calories154
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Mandy Applegate | Splash of Taste
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Utensils

Food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Vegetarian Parmesan cheese roughly broken into chunks
  • 3 cups Fresh basil leaves washed, with stalks removed
  • 1 Clove garlic
  • ½ cup Pine nuts
  • ½ cup Blanched almonds
  • 1 Lemon zest & juice
  • ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • First, break up your Parmesan cheese and place it in your food processor or blender. Next, add your fresh basil leaves, followed by fresh garlic clove, pine nuts, and blanched almonds
    4 oz Vegetarian Parmesan cheese, 3 cups Fresh basil leaves, 1 Clove garlic, ½ cup Pine nuts, ½ cup Blanched almonds
    Process shots for how to make homemade basil pesto, in a food processor add Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts & almonds.
  • Now add the zest of one lemon and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lastly, add in your extra virgin olive oil. Secure the lid on your food processor or blender and blitz until you have a creamy smooth pesto. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1 Lemon, ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt and black pepper
    Process shots for how to make homemade basil pesto, add basil, garlic, pine nuts, almonds, lemon zest & lemon juice, add extra virgin olive oil, blitz.
  • That's it! It's ready to use – enjoy!

Notes

  • Freezing your basil pesto?
    Freeze your leftover pesto in tablespoon portions, in ice cube trays, once frozen pop them out, and store the pesto blocks in freezer bags
  • Don’t have a food processor or blender?
    Use grated Parmesan cheese and chop all the ingredients, ensuring they are as finely chopped as possible
  • Got leftover pine nuts?
    Scatter pine nuts over our mushroom pasta or on top of our four cheese lasagne
  • Out of extra virgin olive oil?
    Not a problem just use olive oil instead, please note that olive oil spray won’t work, it needs to be olive oil in liquid form

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 284IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

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For the step-by-step version of this recipe check out how to make basil pesto.

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About Mandy

A vegetarian for over 35 years, Mandy has taught herself to be creative in the kitchen. Traveling extensively, Mandy loves learning and adapting vegetarian recipes from across the world. Read more...

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Nicole W says

    December 3, 2021 at 2:33 pm

    5 stars
    ohhh how I love a classic pesto. Fabulous recipe.

    Reply
  2. Lauren Michael Harris says

    December 3, 2021 at 2:36 pm

    5 stars
    I love this basil pesto recipe! It’s so simply, yet so delicious!

    Reply
  3. Jersey Girl Cooks says

    December 3, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    5 stars
    Terrific pesto! It will be even better when I have a bunch of basil from my garden next summer.

    Reply
  4. Toni says

    December 3, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    5 stars
    This is so easy!! Thank you so much for the recipe and tips!

    Reply
  5. Soniya says

    December 3, 2021 at 7:08 pm

    This is just perfect! Homemade pesto is the best… Can’t wait to make it!

    Reply
  6. Shelby says

    April 25, 2022 at 2:52 pm

    5 stars
    Homemade pesto is so much more flavorful than store bought! I love this recipe as the base of a wrap, it brings such a great taste.

    Reply
  7. Farwin says

    April 25, 2022 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best homemade pesto I’ve ever had. Amazing with pasta or scrambled eggs.

    Reply
  8. Sherry says

    April 27, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    5 stars
    There is nothing better than fresh pesto!! I made you basil pesto recipe and used it to make my pesto aioli recipe. It was perfect on my sandwich recipes and everyone wanted the recipe!

    Reply
  9. Jenn says

    April 27, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    5 stars
    Oh wow this was terrific! So much flavor and such a gorgeous colour! Loved it on my pasta and I mixed it into mayo to make a sandwich spread. Yum!

    Reply
  10. Glenda says

    April 27, 2022 at 6:41 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! This is so good! I’ve always bought pesto at the store. This was the easiest recipe and the flavor is nothing like store-bought. It’s so bold and flavorful. Love, love, love! Thank you!

    Reply

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We’re Mandy and Jane!

We love sharing our vegetarian food and drink recipes with you. If you’re cutting down on meat, going vegetarian or vegan, there’s something delicious to eat and drink for you here
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