Easy Homemade Basil Pesto

Summer for me also signals the start of Pesto season! Fresh herbs are so easy (and inexpensive) to find during summer and there’s no better way to use them than in pesto. This Easy Homemade Basil Pesto is my favorite!

When it’s warm, I make this pesto on a weekly basis. It is so easy and can be used a variety of ways. You can add it to make salad dressings, bake it on chicken, use it in place of may on sandwiches or toast. Lately, I’ve been loving Pesto on toast with a fried egg, avocado, and cherry tomatoes on top.

Of course, one of the best ways to use pesto is tossed in pasta. If you have the sauce on hand, it makes for a super easy and tasty weeknight meal. You can toss it in any kind of pasta, top with roasted cherry tomatoes, or add other veggies and your favorite protein. So delicious!

Pesto Pizza is super tasty, too! Have you ever had it?! It’s a super refreshing way to change up traditional pizza during the summertime. Just swap pizza sauce for pesto and top with your favorite ingredients. I added herbed ricotta cheese to this pizza, with zucchini ribbons, and prosciutto. Then topped with a little fresh Parmesan – it was so good! The best part…it took 5 minutes to make because I used Naan bread instead of pizza dough – no rolling, no mixing 🙂

To make this Easy Homemade Bail Pesto, all you need is a food processor and a few ingredients! The freshness is AHH-mazing. It ONLY takes 5 minutes.

Easy Homemade Basil Pesto

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Cook Time 5 mins

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  

• 4-5 cups of fresh basil
• 4-6 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cup of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• A fresh squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Start by toasting the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat. Toast them for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Put the pine nuts and all of the ingredients except the olive oil in the food processor. Turn the food processor on and slowly pour in the olive oil. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice before storing. Place in an airtight container or in a mason jar. You can store for a few days or freeze. 

Notes

This recipe is doubled. I like to freeze half in a mason jar. You can cut the ingredients in half if you’d like. 

Keyword pesto

Other Recipes Using Pesto:

• Chicken Spaghetti Squash Boats
• Pickled Vegetable Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Panini