Name: Basil Pesto Recipe (with Almonds)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: gluten free
Ingredients: 1/4 cup toasted almonds (see nots for other nut options); 2 garlic cloves; 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 1/2 cups fresh basil, packed; 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed; Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission – at no extra cost to you.

If I could only have one sauce on hand for the rest of my life, it would 100% be basil pesto!!!

During the summer we grow a lot of basil, and I often end up using it to make pesto. It’s a great way to use up excess basil, and it’s such a versatile sauce to keep on hand. It can instantly turn boring recipes into something exciting.

I love the fresh, herb-y, tangy, flavor of homemade pesto that’s got a nice rich, nutty texture to it.

The best part, with the help of a food processor, it is so incredibly easy to make – 10 minutes! And, it only requires a few simple ingredients.

It’s perfect for spreading onto sandwiches, wraps, dolloping onto eggs, using as a sauce for pastas, or pizza. If you happen to have an insane abundance of basil leaves, then you can easily make a double batch of pesto and freeze it for later.

I make basil pesto so often that I have perfected the recipe to my liking. It’s a winner every time.

Let’s do this!

Ingredients for basil pesto recipe

As always, the list of ingredients along with the measurements, are in the recipe card below.

toasted almonds – traditionally pine nuts are used in pesto, but they are so darn expensive, so I prefer to use almonds since I always have them around. You can easily use walnuts, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and even sunflower seeds.
garlic cloves – fresh garlic is a must in this recipe. It adds so much flavor
Parmesan cheese – good quality, fresh Parm, from the deli section, makes all the difference.
kosher salt – For flavor. An under-salted pesto is no bueno.
black pepper – for more flavor.
fresh basil – because it’s not basil pesto without tons of fresh basil. So good!
fresh parsley – Parsley is my secret ingredient. It helps to keep the pesto nice and green, even a week later. Plus, it adds another element of herbaceous flavor!
juice of a lemon – for that fresh tangy brightness that brings everything together.
extra virgin olive oil – For that lovely richness. Use a good quality olive oil, when you can. It’s worth the splurge.

How to make basil pesto

Of course, the full directions are listed down below. But, let’s give you a snapshot here.

toast your almonds – if not already toasted, give your nuts a quick toast in the oven to bring out their flavor.
pulse together the hearty ingredients – In the food processor pulse together the almonds, garlic, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Just to get things started.
Add the herbs – pulse the basil and parsley to break them down into finer pieces.
Stream in the oil – while the motor is running, stream the oil into the pesto so that it gets nice and creamy.
Store or serve – serve the basil pesto immediately, or store it in the fridge for up to a week (more on that later).

That’s it. So easy!!!

What kind of basil is used in a basil pesto recipe?

Sweet basil.

Home grown basil straight from your garden is honestly going to have the best flavor. However, whenever you can get you hands on fresh basil leaves from the grocery store, or the farmer’s market, you can make this pesto!

Do I HAVE to use pine nuts in a basil pesto recipe?

No. I rarely use pine nuts in my basil pesto recipe. I mostly end up using almonds, because I always have them lying around.

You can also use walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds with varying results. All are a much cheaper, more versatile nut, or seed to keep on hand.

Ways to use basil pesto

Pesto is so versatile. You can use it as a topping, as a spread, as a dip, as a sauce.

Here are a few ides:

Spread it onto wraps,
Or sandwiches.
Use it as a sauce for pizza,
or pasta,
or chicken salad.
Add it to a cheese board.
Dollop it onto eggs,
or chicken,
or fish, and seafood.
Drizzle it on top of roasted veggies,
or roasted potatoes.

Any way you use it, basil pesto will liven up any dish.

Recipes with basil pesto

Why does my basil pesto turn brown?

Basil is subject to oxidization. The longer the basil is exposed to the air, the more likely it is to turn brown.

Don’t worry, it still tastes great.

Ways to keep basil pesto from turning brown

Add parsley – this is my secret ingredient. The parsley doesn’t oxidize, keeping the overall pesto a bright beautiful green color. It isn’t enough to make the pesto taste like the parsley, just enough to keep it nice and green.
Cover it with oil – when storing the pesto in the fridge, you can add a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep the air away from the pesto. This works well. However, I don’t find it necessary when I add the parsley into the pesto.

Keep in mind that the pesto will turn a darker color when you cook with it (like you see below in the picture of the pizza). This is fine, it still tastes good, but it is something to be aware of.

How long does basil pesto last in the fridge?

At least 1 week.

Honestly, I have had my pesto last up to several weeks. It does tend to dry out just a little, so I often stir in a little more olive oil, if needed.

Can I freeze my basil pesto?

Yes. You can easily freeze your pesto for up to 3 months.

You can either freeze it in an air tight container, or ziplock bag.

Or, portion it into ice cubes. Once the ice cubes are frozen you can pop them into a ziplock bag. This method is nice because you can pull a small amount of pesto at a time.

Reasons you will love this basil pesto recipe

It’s bursting with fresh flavor.
It’s easy to make – 10 minutes.
It’s customizable.
It’s so versatile.
It lasts in the fridge for at least a week.
And, you can freeze it.
It’s bursting with heart healthy fats,
it’s naturally gluten free,
and vegetarian.
It tastes like summer.
And, it’s got the most gorgeous green color!!!

More versatile dips and sauces for you to try

Recipes with basil pesto in it:

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know how it went. Leave a comment below along with a star rating. I love hearing from you.

Basil Pesto Recipe (with Almonds)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Emily
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 1/4 cup 1x
Category: sauces, condiments, appetizers, easy,
Method: food processor
Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, dairy free
Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Description

This basil pesto recipe is so easy to make. It’s the perfect sauce to keep on hand for drizzling onto eggs, chicken, or veggies. Use it as the sauce for pizza, pasta, or spread it onto sandwiches. It can elevate any dish.

Instructions

toast your nuts: If you haven’t already, toast your almonds to bring out their flavor. You can skip this step if you happen to be using already toasted, store-bought nuts. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the nuts onto a small rimmed baking sheet. Toast the nuts for 8 minutes, toss, and toast another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant, and have browned. Be careful not to burn the nuts. Allow them to cool completely before continuing the recipe. This step can be done in advance, if needed.
Pulse together the hearty ingredients: To the bowl of a food processor, add the toasted, and cooled almonds, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Pulse until mostly broken down into small pieces.
Add the herbs: Next, add the basil, parsley, and juice of 1/2 lemon. Pulse until the herbs have broken down into small pieces (see photo in post). You may need to scrape the sides once or twice.
Stream in the oil: While the motor of the food processor is running, slowly stream the oil into the pesto until all of the oil has been added. Scrape down the sides, and pulse one or two more times to fully combine. The pesto should be thick, creamy, and small bits of the nuts, and cheese should remain. At this point, taste the pesto and adjust the seasonings, as needed. Depending on how juicy the lemon is, you may want to add the other half of the lemon juice. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, if you want your pesto to be a little thinner. I find this to be ideal when I am using the pesto as a sauce on pasta, or as a dip.
To serve: You can use pesto in so many ways. Spread it on sandwiches, wraps, use it as the sauce on pizza, use it as the sauce for pasta, serve it on a cheese platter, dollop it on top of scrambled eggs, or on top of an omelet, spread it onto fish, chicken, or seafood. The possibilities are endless for ways you can use pesto.
To store: Pesto will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, so it can be made in advance. Allow the pesto to sit at room temp for 15 minutes to allow the oil to soften before using. Or, run the pesto under warm water. I like to store it in a mason jar. If you’re worried about it browning (which, it won’t as much with the parsley in there), you can add a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to prevent oxidation.
To freeze: You can freeze the pesto for up to 3 months. You can either freeze it in the mason jar, or freeze them into ice cube trays, then store in a ziplock bag. Then you can allow a few cubes of pesto to defrost and use it however you want.

Notes

A note on ingredients: pesto only has a few ingredients, so use the highest quality, and freshest ingredients you can. Try to use the freshest herbs you can get (if you grow them yourself, that’s even better). Make sure to use a good quality, fruity olive oil, along with a high quality parmesan cheese from the deli counter (not from the pizza aisle). Using quality ingredients will make all the difference in how good your pesto is.

nut options: Traditionally pine nuts are used in pesto. You can easily use those, if you want. But, they are really expensive, so I most often use almonds. You can easily swap the almonds for walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds with varying results.

toasting nuts: On occasion, when I am short on time I will skip toasting my nuts and the pesto is still really good. However, if I was making the pesto to serve to guests, or share with others, I would highly recommend toasting any nuts or seeds you use, it really elevates the flavor.

parsley options: I like to use a little parsley with the basil because it keeps the pesto looking green as the basil oxidizes -plus, it tastes good. You could also use arugula, or mint, with varying results. I personally recommend the parsley. Keep in mind that the pesto will darken in color if you cook with it, which is okay.

vegan/dairy free option: If you want this pesto to be dairy free/vegan you can swap the 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese for 2 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (taste as you go), for that cheesy flavor.

Recipe Card powered by