Description
Our basil pesto recipe is perfect for quick and tasty fast meals! Use this homemade pesto to make dips, dressings, spreads, and amazing pasta in minutes!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large bunch (2 cups packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil (see notes)
- 1/3 cup raw nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios or walnuts)
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese
- 1–3 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the food processor, pulse until the pesto is just combined.
- If you plan to use the pesto within the next day or two, place your pesto into a jar and cover with a thin layer of oil on top of it. This will stop it from going brown. Alternatively, you can store your basil pesto for longer in the freezer by freezing the pesto into desired portion sizes (see notes).
Enjoy!
Notes
- Reduce or skip the oil if you want a healthier end result. Just substitute olive oil for water or vegetable broth (you’ll still have great flavor, just a thinner texture).
- You can store your homemade pesto in the fridge for 1-2 days. However, be sure to leave a thin layer of oil on top of it. This will stop it from going brown. Alternatively, you can store your basil pesto for longer in the freezer. In fact, this is the best way to make sure it’s always available. We recommend freezing it in an ice cube tray. Then, just stash the cubes in a sealed container or a re-usable plastic bag. When you’re ready to eat, just mix a cube of pesto directly into some hot pasta! For other uses, thaw it at room temperature first. This won’t take long unless the cubes are very large.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
Keywords: basil pesto, basil pesto recipe, homemade pesto, pesto pasta