Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to keep on hand. Try these easy, fun pesto recipe variations to brighten pasta, salads, roasted veggies & more!
One of my favorite things about summer is the bounty of fresh herbs that are just outside my doorstep. Fresh herbs make any meal instantly more flavorful and beautiful. My favorite thing to do with all of those fresh herbs (aside from sprinkle them on everything) is to make pesto! It’s especially great for lazy summertime cooking. I like to dollop it on grilled vegetables, pasta, spaghetti squash, salads, eggs, toasted bread, pizza, sandwiches… you get the idea. With just a few easy steps, it makes anything an instant tasty meal, whether you feel like cooking or not.
What is pesto, and how do I make it?
Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps:
- Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they’re finely chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse again.
- Next, drizzle in the olive oil with the food processor blade still running.
- Finally, add grated Parmesan cheese and process briefly until combined. For vegan pesto, simply skip the cheese.
That’s it! It’s really simple to make, and it’s easy to vary according to the season or your mood. It will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, though its surface may start turning brown. As a result, it’s best to cover your pesto with a thin layer of plastic wrap or an extra drizzle of oil before sealing your container. This will keep it fresh and green!
Pesto Recipe Variations
Once you’ve made the classic basil pesto recipe, try changing it up! You can make delicious variations with all sorts of nuts, seeds, veggies, and leafy greens. Here are some of my favorites:
- Swap out the pine nuts for any nut of your choice! I particularly like walnuts, almonds, and pistachios.
- Make nut-free pesto by using pepitas or hemp seeds.
- Use a different herb. Try replacing the basil with mint, cilantro, or parsley!
- Or fewer herbs. Replace half the basil with 1 cup arugula, kale, or chopped zucchini. For a punchier twist, pulse in 4 artichoke hearts, a roasted red pepper, or half an avocado instead of half the basil.
- Don’t let your veggie stems go to waste. Blanch 1/2 cup kale stems and blend them into pesto in place of half the basil.
- Punch up the flavor! Add 2 to 4 sun dried tomatoes, a charred jalapeño, nutritional yeast, or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
The possibilities are endless – let me know if you have a favorite variation!
I made pesto! Now what do I do with it?
The obvious choice is tossing pesto with pasta, but your options don’t end there. Spoon it over a Caprese salad, top it onto a grain bowl, scoop it onto spaghetti squash or mac and cheese, or incorporate it into this yummy zucchini casserole. We love it on polenta and homemade pizza, too. It’s even great on scrambled eggs! Do you have a favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments!
Basil Pesto
Equipment
- Food Processor (I swear by my Cuisinart one for a smooth consistency!)
Ingredients
Basic Basil Pesto:
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups basil leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for a smoother pesto
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper and pulse until well chopped.
- Add the basil and pulse until combined.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese, if using, and pulse to briefly combine. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
Hi, could I add some spinach to the recipe, and how much?
So good!! Thank you
This recipe was perfect for my home garden basil! The lemon adds such a great flavor profile. I used fresh shredded parmesan & love the finished product! Thank you for this recipe!
Awesome! Added a little more salt and lemon but otherwise it’s perfect!
So far, this is my favorite pesto recipe! My daughter doubled the size of our garden and she weaved basil plants between all the tomato plants! Needless to say, we’ve got a lot of basil! This is the first recipe that I’ve tried that uses lemon zest instead of lemon juice. Wow! What a difference!! I also like the more chunky texture (didn’t think I would, but I do!) I followed every step, except I did not add the last bit of oil. I also doubled the recipe and will freeze some of it. Great recipe! Try it out!!
This recipe is easy to make. It’s got a fresh basil flavour and beats store-bought Basil Pesto (which I couldn’t stand until my husband made this delicious recipe of yours!).
Not to my taste at all. I’ve never put lemon in pesto, but I trust the recipes on this website, so I put some in : one tablespoon instead of two. I didn’t like the taste at all. But I also found it needed more garlic, salt, pepper, and oil than the recipe called for. I’ll go back to my old standby from the Moosewood cookbook.
Hi Miranda, I’m sorry this one wasn’t for you. We like the brightness that the lemon brings, but we really like lemon.
Not sure what Deb below did, but I’ve used this recipe twice and it’s so good. I did not toast the pine nuts, but followed everything else exactly including the optional parmesan. Added it to pasta (froze the rest) and it had the most delicious flavor.
This is very bland and flat. And once you start playing with it and adding it is ruined. Would not use this ever again!
Hi Deb, I’m wondering if you omitted any ingredients from the recipe or if it just needed another pinch of salt?