Basic Pesto Sauce Recipe
Fresh pesto is one of my absolute favorite summer indulgences. There’s nothing quite like picking basil from a container out on the deck (or from the bounty in your garden) and whipping up a quick batch. You can dress pasta with it, use it as pizza sauce, set it out as an appetizer with dipping bread, or if you’re like me – stand in the kitchen with a bowl of it and go through cracker after cracker scooping up that wonderful fresh basil goodness (oops). After I made the Portobello Pesto Pizza a number of you asked for the pesto recipe that I used for the sauce, so without further ado…
My recipe for pesto isn’t completely traditional but you can easily make a couple of substitutions to suit your tastes. Traditionally, pesto is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Because I like to use what’s on hand and not spend tons of money on extra ingredients, I almost always make my pesto with walnuts because I buy them in bulk to bake with and always have a big bag on hand (and pine nuts are expensive). I use Romano cheese in place of Parmesan for the same reason.
My beloved basil plant, which has provided me with numerous batches of fresh pesto this summer:
And my new favorite way to use pesto – as pizza sauce. I fell in love with the Portobello Pesto Pizza!
MY OTHER RECIPES
What’s your favorite way to enjoy a fresh batch of pesto?
One year ago: Snickerdoodle Blondies
Two years ago: Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Three years ago: Bagels
Four years ago: Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
Basic Pesto Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup olive oil
½ cup Romano cheese
Directions:
In a food processor or blender, pulse together the basil, walnuts and garlic 5 to 7 times. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the machine and add the cheese. Pulse a few more times to blend.
Did you make this recipe?
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I LOVE pesto…and I have basil growing in my garden (they look pretty pathetic compared to yours though!) My favourite way to enjoy pesto is on whole wheat fusilli! I cant wait to try your version with walnuts.
Believe it or not, I’ve never had fresh pesto before! I’ve only had the jarred stuff from the grocery store. I know I’m missing out though. I’d definitely use walnuts too. I always have them on hand and pine nuts are so so expensive!
Love pesto! In fact, I have about a dozen basil plants in my garden to keep my pesto addition aptly supplied throughout the summer (with some left to freeze for the winter months!). I have your portabello pesto pizza on the queue for this week’s dinner plan!
You’ve reminded me of my love for pizza…. wasn’t having them as i love mine loaded with cheese….. this is a healthier option…. Thanks…
Lovely Post…
I also love it. I usually put it on (buffalo) mozzarella and sliced tomatoes or I marinate chicken with it before putting it on the griddle and, finally, shredding it to put it in a yummy chicken pasta salad.
I like your pesto! As you say it’s not the traditional one, but i love the idea of walnuts in it!!
I love pesto on just about anything! Esp on a sandwich with mozz and tomatoes!
I’m making this tonight– and I’m not just saying that.
My brother has been growing a basil plant so this is PERFECT! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
I love pesto! This sounds wonderful.
love pesto on pizza! it adds such a great flavor and really changes up the options you have for toppings…what’s not to love?!
Love pesto! I like to switch up the nuts and change the flavor slightly, but always come back to the basic! It is awesome on pizza, I agree!
I just made this for the first time a few days ago!! Finally, after all these years I now have gorgeous Basil plant that I haven’t killed. It’s SO exciting and the pesto was delicious! I’ll have to try it with the walnuts next time as I usually have more of those on hand, too.
We are big lovers of pesto in my house! My favorite way to use it is to grill some chicken sausage, cut into pieces and serve with pasta and the pesto! Also, grilled/broiled chicken breast with pesto rice! (I boil my rice with chicken broth and stir in a couple of spoonsful of pesto when its done)
oh– I almost forgot. We love our grilled cheese with pesto smeared on the bread and nice sharp cheddar.
I also made Jalapeno pest last summer with my bumper crop of jalapenos. Just added a few jalapenos and a squeeze of lime.
That grilled cheese sounds DELICIOUS! Totally making that!
Sounds really good!! Have you ever made this with pecans? I love pecans and that might add yet another twist to a great sauce. I will certainly try this out! I have tons of basil growing on the patio.
I have never made it with pecans, but I bet they would be great too!
i love that i only have to type in ‘b’ in my google chrome and it knows that i want to come here. thanks for blogging. and for that PB fudge cheesecake.
as for pesto, i’m intrigued. for some reason, i’ve never really had any. sounds lovely though, so i think i’ll give it a try. how do you measure the leaves? just loosely packed in the cup? thanks!
This is my favorite way to eat pesto:
http://bakeeatrepeat.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-basil-pesto-tomato-and.html
Thanks for the tip on using walnuts instead of pine nuts. I usually always have those on hand as well and you’re right…pine nuts are darn expensive!
Yum I love pesto! I bought a basil plant last week so I could grow my own basil to make pesto. 1 day later, I had a dead plant on my hands! So sad. But this recipe is making me want basil all over again! A pesto pizza sounds delicious, too!
Nothing beats a good, home-made pesto. Your basil plant is just thriving! I tend to eat fresh basil so fast that my plants shake and molt when I walk by!
My basil plant is HUGE! I have been wanting to try making my own pesto and now I have the perfect recipe! Thanks!!