Homemade Pesto

A bright, basil-forward pesto with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil — ready in minutes.

Serves: About 1 cup

saucepestoitaliancondimentbasil

Ingredients

1
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, shaking often, until lightly browned. Let cool slightly.
2
Add the basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan to a food processor.
3
Pulse several times until everything is finely chopped.
4
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth.
5
Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust — more Parmesan for richer flavor, more olive oil for a thinner sauce, or a pinch more salt if needed.

Buy raw pine nuts and toast them yourself for better flavor.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze, portion into ice cube trays and cover with a thin layer of olive oil.

Created: 8/3/2026