Learn how to make the best pesto with this homemade fresh basil pesto recipe full of tips, tricks and recipe variations! You’ll never settle for store-bought again!
This homemade pesto recipe instantly elevates anything it touches from pasta to chicken, fish, sandwiches, vegetables, eggs, salads, etc. It’s deliciously cheesy, garlicky and herbaceous brimming with peppery basil, salty Parmesan, nutty pine nuts, zingy garlic and rich olive oil. Best of all, this basil pesto recipe is easy to make in a food processor in less than 10 minutes, is a brilliant freezer standby and heads above any processed jars. Keep the pesto sauce classic or I’ve included all sorts of variations including cashews, almonds, walnuts, arugula, spinach, kale etc. Let’s pesto!
Pesto makes everything better! For more must-have recipes using pesto, don’t miss Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta, Pesto Pasta Salad, Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet, Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables, Crockpot Pesto Mashed Potatoes, and TikTok Feta Pasta
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HOW TO MAKE pesto recipe VIDEo
What Is Pesto?
What is pesto? What is pesto made of? Classic Pesto is an uncooked basil cheese sauce or condiment made of fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper– sometimes with some Pecorino as well. The ingredients are combined in a food processor then finely chopped to create a thick green sauce.
Where is pesto from? Pesto originated in Genoa, Italy around the 16th century. The name pesto comes from the Genoese word pestâ, which means to pound or to crush. This refers to the original method of preparing pesto with a mortar and pestle. Today, pesto sauce is incredibly quick and easy to make in the food processor with countless variations.
What does pesto taste like? Basil pesto is bright, herby and peppery with a hint of anise from the basil, salty, nutty and rich from the Parmesan, buttery and nutty from the pine nuts, garlicky from the garlic with a pleasant rich, herby grassiness from the extra virgin olive oil.
What do you eat pesto with? The better question is what do you not eat pesto with because it makes everything better! Serve it as a dip with vegetables and chips, stir it into pasta, rice, risotto, or mashed potatoes, spread it onto pizza, sandwiches, burgers or wraps, use it as a dressing for salads or pasta salads.
Is pesto always basil? Classic basil pesto, Pesto Alla Genovese, is by far the most popular. In fact, whenever you see the word “pesto” on a restaurant menu or in a recipe without any clarification, it is unmistakably referring to basil pesto. There are, however, thousands of variations of pesto sauce. Pesto can be made with any leafy green instead of basil such as parsley, arugula, kale or spinach, any nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pistachios and additions such as lemon zest, sun-dried tomatoes and even ricotta. So, let your imagination run wild!
WHY You’ll love this Pesto RECIPE
No processed jars can hold a candle to this homemade pesto thanks to the abundantly fresh, ingredients. It’s a brilliantly fragrant flavor bomb without any additives or preservatives – and you can taste the difference!
My secret tips make the best pesto recipe. Lemon juice preserves the beautiful bright color and enhances the fresh flavors, toasting the pine nuts adds a depth of sweetness, using Parmigiano-Reggiano adds intense complexity and not over-processing the oil prevents the basil pesto from becoming bitter. Once you try it with these adjustments, you’ll never make it any other way.
Homemade pesto means you can make it just how you like it – make it thicker or thinner, more or less garlicy, more or less cheesy, with or without lemon, etc.
You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make. Just a few simple ingredients and a few minutes are all you need for this transformative basil pesto recipe.
No more boring anything. The secret to elevating your cooking is a dynamite sauce. Everything this basil pesto touches is pumped up with bright, herby, garlicky, nutty flavor. It’s condiment gold whether mopped over steak, chicken, fish, or veggies, draped over eggs, pasta or pizza, spread over sandwiches, burgers, wraps or paninis or as a dip for veggies, bread, and more. You’ll wonder how you lived without it!
This homemade pesto is a brilliant freezer standby. Double the batch and freeze some for later in portion sizes or ice cubes because this pesto is bright and flavor packed even after being frozen.
This pesto recipe is extremely versatile. The best thing about this recipe is you can customize the ingredients with different greens, herbs or nuts. You can make a different pesto every time! I’ve included all sorts of variations later in the post.
pesto INGREDIENTS
This pesto sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients that combine into a flavor gold. It’s bursting with the herbaceous freshness of basil, the pungent zing of garlic, the salty, nuttiness of the freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano underscored by the sweet, nutty, toasted pine nuts and rich olive oil.
Here’s what you’ll need to make this flavorful herb sauce (full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Can I use store-bought Shredded or Grated Parmesan?
I don’t recommend store-bought shredded or grated Parmesan for the best pesto but if you do need to use it for a shortcut, use shredded instead of grated and reduce the Parmesan in the recipe to ½ cup instead of ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan. Store-bought grated Parmesan is more compact verses freshly grated which is more aerated so you will need less.
Tips to Adjust Your basil Pesto REcipe
Make this homemade basil pesto your own! Make it more garlicky, lemony, thinner, thicker, etc. Here’s how:
Customize the consistency: Add more or less olive oil depending on how thick or thin you prefer your pesto. You may want a thinner pesto if tossing with pasta or a thicker pesto if using as a spread. If you would like additional olive oil after the pesto is processed, stir it in, rather than blend it to avoid bitter over-oxidation.
More or less cheese: The amount of cheese is personal preference and may also vary depending on how you are serving the pesto sauce. You want more Parmesan for serving with pasta and less with fish. The potency of Parmesan can also vary, so that is also why there is some wiggle room.
More or less garlic: If you like more of a garlic forward pesto recipe, use up to 4 garlic cloves. If you like milder garlic, start with 2 cloves. After the pesto is mixed and allowed to rest for 15-30 minutes, you can taste and add more finely minced garlic if you prefer.
With or without lemon: You can omit the lemon if you prefer, use less, or add additional lemon or lemon zest for a lemon-y pesto.
Season to taste: Depending on what you’re using the sauce for and simply personal preference, be ready to adjust the sauce to taste. You may want to add additional salt, pepper or even a pinch of red pepper flakes.
HOW TO MAKE Pesto
Pesto was originally made with a mortar and pestle, but today, it takes less than 5 minutes in our modern-day mortar and pestle – the food processor – without breaking a sweat! Here’s how to make it from scratch:
- Step 1: Toast the pine nuts. This simple step will elevate your pesto recipe to next level – and it’s so easy! Add pine nuts to a skillet without any oil and toast until light brown in spots, then remove from the skillet.
- Step 2: Add the ingredient to the food processor. Add the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the food processor.
- Step 3: Chop the ingredients. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Step 4: Add the olive oil. With the food processor still running, drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely combined. If you prefer a thinner pesto, add additional oil. Season with more salt to taste if desired.
Tips for the best pesto sauce recipe
Basil pesto is made of just a few ingredients, so use the best! I suggest tasting the basil, you don’t want it to be minty or too spicy, it should be sweet and delicate, perky and bright and the freshest possible otherwise your pesto can turn brown; the garlic should be plump and fresh, the Parmesan freshly grated and the lemon juice freshly squeezed.
Watch the olive oil. Different olive oils have different flavors and strengths, even extra virgin olive oil, so choose what you like best.
Please don’t skip toasting the nuts. As the heat releases the nuts’ natural oils, it intensifies their aroma and enhances their nutty sweetness.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. We don’t want any stubborn, large pieces of basil or garlic, so take care to scrape down the sides of the bowl while processing the ingredients, before you add the olive oil.
Add the olive oil slowly. In order to emulsify the pesto (combine two ingredients together which do not ordinarily mix easily), keep the food processor running while you pour the oil in a slow, steady stream.
Don’t over-process the olive oil or your pesto sauce will taste bitter. Extra virgin olive oil is super sensitive to mechanical agitation – as in a blender or a food processor. Meaning, if you over-process the oil, its polyphenols can break away from the fatty acids causing oxidation which will make the pesto taste bitter. If you’re worried about this, you may stir the olive oil in by hand or even use canola oil.
Let the flavors meld. Homemade pesto sauce is best if allowed to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving, preferable 2 hours, to let the flavors meld.
Adjust the basil pesto recipe to your taste. If you’re not sure how garlicky, cheese or tangy you would like your basil pesto, start with less of the ingredients and gradually add more to taste. Take care, however, not to add whole ingredients to the already chopped sauce in the food processor or it will become over-processed. Instead, chop the ingredients then stir them in by hand.
Stir before using. After your pesto sauce has been sitting in the fridge, the oil will separate from the rest of the mixture and rise to the top. To fix, simply give the sauce a good stir before scooping out what you need.
- Use a different basil: Try a different variety of basil such as large leaf Italian basil, lemon basil, mint basil, Greek basil, etc. Each will affect the taste of the recipe in an exciting new way.
- Swap in different greens: Swap some or all of the basil for other greens such as parsley, cilantro, mint, arugula, kale, spinach, etc., or play with a combination.
- Add herbs: In addition to basil, flavor the pesto with marjoram, mint, thyme or oregano.
- Swap in other cheese: Swap some of the Parmesan Reggiano for sharper, saltier, tangier, more pungent Pecorino Romano. You can even use Cotija cheese in combination with cilantro and pepitas.
- Swap in other nuts: Swap the pine nuts for almonds, walnuts, pecans cashews, or pistachios.
- Make it nut free: Swap the pine nuts for pumpkin seeds, pepitas, hemp seeds, etc.
- Punch up the flavor: Add anything to your pesto such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, anchovies, capers, olives, artichoke hearts, etc.
- Add some heat: I’m a big fan of adding a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Make vegan pesto: Substitute the cheese with a non-dairy cheese or add 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is nutty and cheesy.
- Pesto alla Trapanese: uses almonds instead of pine nuts and is finished with fresh tomatoes for a lighter, brighter flavor; ideal for pasta.
- Pesto agli Agrumi (Citrus Pesto): uses almonds instead of pine nuts and includes lemon or orange juice, or a combination; ideal for seafood or seafood pasta.
- Pesto Rosso (Red Pesto/Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto): uses almonds instead of pine nuts and includes sun-dried tomatoes and sometimes roasted red peppers. It can also include red pepper flakes, rosemary, or sometimes even olives. I’ve used in my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Shrimp – absolutely divine!
- Pesto Modenese: uses lardo, a kind of cured salumi from pure pig fat instead of olive oil, processed with Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, rosemary or thyme (or both); ideal as a spread on bread, sandwiches or pizza.
- Garlic Scape Pesto: uses cashews instead of pine nuts and chopped garlic scapes instead of basil; ideal for pasta, seafood, etc.
- Pesto di Noce (Walnut Pesto): uses almonds instead of pine nuts; ideal for everything!
- Pesto di Pistacchio (Pistachio Pesto): uses pistachios instead of pine nuts combined with fresh lemon zest; also delicious with mint instead of basil; ideal for a spread, vegetables, chicken, etc.
- Pesto di Rucola (Arugula Pesto): uses arugula instead of basil, both Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino and lemon zest; ideal drizzled over steamed artichokes, grilled fish, vegetables or ripe tomatoes.
- Parsley Pesto with Anchovies: uses parsley instead of basil combined with capers, oregano, anchovies, garlic, white vinegar and red pepper flakes for a briny sauce; ideal for grilled or roasted vegetables and fish.
- Puttanesca Pesto: add 6 anchovy fillets to the food processor then stir in ⅓ cup roughly chopped pitted Kalamata olives to finish; ideal as a spread for bread or sandwiches.
- Cilantro Pepita Pesto: uses pepitas instead of pine nuts, cilantro instead of basil, Cotija instead of Parmesan with the addition of one jalapeno and a splash of lime juice; ideal for tacos, fish, chicken or vegetables.
- Avocado Pesto: Add an avocado to any pesto recipe to create a creamy version. You can also swap the basil for cilantro; ideal for pasta and sandwiches.
- Artichoke Pesto: add a 12-ounce jar of oil packed artichokes, and consider walnuts instead pine nuts; ideal for sandwiches, chicken, fish, pasta, etc.
Try My Recipes Using Pesto!
–Pesto Chicken Bake: The chicken breasts are smothered in perky pesto sauce and seasonings then lined on top of green beans and tomatoes that all baked in ONE PAN – or you can just make the chicken. The chicken is finished off with ooey gooey mozzarella cheese served over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes.
–Bruschetta Chicken: Bright, herb infused basil pesto chicken is grilled or cooked in a skillet to juicy perfection, blanketed in hot, gooey mozzarella cheese, piled with fresh tomatoes laced with basil and garlic then drizzled with sweet and tangy balsamic glaze.
–Creamy Pesto Pasta: All the ingredients are simmered in one pot (yes, even the pasta!), which makes for an astonishingly easy, flavor-packed dish complete with a creamy light yet aromatic basil pesto sauce.
–Pesto Pasta Salad: This recipe is summer in a bowl bursting with pillowy cheese tortellini, sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy bell peppers, charred, caramelized sweet corn, zippy red onions, bright, meaty salami and buttery pearls of fresh mozzarella all doused in a bright herby, garlicky pesto vinaigrette.
–Creamy Parmesan Pesto Chicken Skillet: The chicken is spice rubbed in basil pesto, seared until golden then bathed in a creamy pesto sauce – all done in 30 minutes! Serve with pasta, rice or potatoes for an easy, palate pleasing meal.
–Cheesy Sausage Pesto Ring: This appetizer looks super impressive but you won’t believe how easy it is! Biscuits are stuffed with cream cheese pesto and baked to golden, ooey gooey addictiveness.
– Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables: This easy sheet pan dinner with pesto chicken, potatoes, broccoli and carrots is a satisfying flavor bursting meal-in-one, an ideal dinner for those busy nights or anytime you want hassle free scrumptious homerun.
–Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Parmesan: These potato laced potatoes will blow your mind with their tender, explosive flavor AND ease!
–Crockpot Mashed Potatoes: These potatoes will change your culinary life spiked with pesto and sour cream. The recipe is made 100% in the crockpot for mega creamy, mega flavorful, mega easy, and the perfect side to any meal.
–Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce: The creamy mushroom sauce is pumped with pesto and bacon for of the easiest yet most delicious chicken dinners you will ever make – and all in one skillet.
–Lemon Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine: A wonderfully creamy, explosively flavorful dish on your table in 20 minutes!
–Spinach Dip Stuffed French Bread: It’s your favorite cheesy dip (with three cheeses and pesto sauce!) baked right into the loaf. It’s a crazy delicious side or easy crowd-pleasing appetizer!
– Salmon Pasta in Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce: Salmon bathed in a creamy lemon basil pesto is irresistibly delicious and on your table in 30 minutes! It truly tastes better than the finest restaurant at a fraction of the price.
–TikTok Feta Pasta: One of the simplest pasta recipes you can make but emerges SO flavorful. It’s made by literally baking a block of feta along with tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto sauce and olive to create an irresistible, cheesy, creamy, tangy, tomato sauce. Stir in some garlic, basil and cooked pasta and you have a super easy, gourmet tasting dinner that took less than 10 minutes of hands-on prep!
Recipes Using Pesto
more Basil Pesto Recipe Ideas
–Pesto Pasta: Toss one pound of cooked pasta with pesto sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and reserved pasta water as needed. You can add anything from roasted or grilled vegetables, chicken or shrimp.
–Pesto French Bread Pizza: Cut a loaf of French Bread in half. Spread with a layer of basil pesto or pesto combined with Alfredo sauce. Top with cooked chicken or shrimp (tossed in pesto), tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and any other desired toppings. Bake at 350 degrees F until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
–White Pesto Pizza: Top store-bought or my homemade pizza dough with Alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, chopped up chicken or shrimp (tossed in pesto) and favorite toppings such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, etc. Bake according to pizza directions.
–Pesto Flatbread: Follow the same toppings as for pizza but use your favorite flatbread.
–Pesto Chicken Salad: Serve grilled basil chicken in a big green salad with spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and some fun fixings: mozzarella pears, sliced almonds, garlic croutons, etc. Add additional oil and a splash of lemon juice to your homemade pesto to make a vinaigrette.
–Chicken Pesto Sandwich: Mix pesto and mayo or Greek yogurt together and spread on each side of crusty sandwich bread. Layer with with grilled pesto chicken and your favorite toppings such as mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, pickled red onions, arugula, etc.
–Pesto Panini: Mix pesto and mayo or Greek yogurt together and spread on each side of sliced ciabatta then layer with mozzarella cheese, arugula, tomatoes, basil and sliced grilled pesto chicken. Top chicken with bread and grill in a greased grill pan, placing a heavy pan on top of the sandwich. Grill panini for 3 minutes per side or until cheese is melted.
–Pesto Wraps: Spread a light layer of pesto down the middle of a tortilla or make it creamy by mixing pesto with mayo or Greek yogurt. Add chopped up pesto chicken and desired filling ingredients such as tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, red onion, lettuce, bacon, etc.
How long is pesto good for?
Pesto is made with natural, fresh ingredients so it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, but is freshest/best/most flavorful if used within the first 3 days. The oil will separate to the top after it has been sitting, so just give the homemade pesto a stir once ready to use.
How Do I Keep Pesto from Turning Brown?
Browning is a natural process that occurs when the chopped basil is exposed to the air (oxidation). There are three ways to help prevent browning:
1. Limit the exposure to air by pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pesto before sealing to store.
2. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to cover its surface before sealing to store.
3. Blanch the basil leaves briefly before processing. It locks in the bright green color of the leaves. To blanch the basil, dunk the basil leaves into boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds then submerge in ice water. Pat the leaves completely dry before making the pesto.
CaN Pesto Be Frozen?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze pesto! Freezing is a great way to use up an abundance of summertime basil or to always have some on hand. Freeze basil pesto for up to 3 months then thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use (don’t microwave or the sauce will lose its freshness).
TO FREEZE:
Option 1: Transfer pesto sauce to a freezer size bag and freeze flat or divide between multiple freezer bags in measured quantities. To use, thaw in the refrigerator or countertop or simply break off chunks of pesto to use whenever you need it.
Option 2: Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray for smaller servings then transfer cubes to an airtight container after frozen solid.
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Homemade Basil Pesto
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Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use ½ cup if not freshly grated)
- 1/2 cup raw, unsalted pine nuts (the best substitute is cashews)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
ADD LATER
- 1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (¾ for a smoother pesto)
Instructions
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (without any oil). Add pine nuts and toast until golden in spots. Immediately remove from the skillet so they don’t continue to cook.
- Add all the pesto ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor (basil through pepper).
- Pulse until finely chopped.
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely combined. Start with ½ cup and if you prefer a thinner/smoother pesto, add additional oil. Season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice to taste.
Video
Notes
- Basil: Use the freshest basil possible. If it’s been sitting in your fridge for a week, the pesto can turn brown and won’t taste as fabulous.
- Parmesan cheese: For the best pesto recipe, use real, freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano right off of the block and not any powdered or pre-shredded cheeses. Parmigiano-Reggiano is Parmesan produced in Italy and has been aged for at least two years. In the U.S. you can still find tasty “Parmesan,” but it is not regulated, and typically only aged 10 months so it’s not as flavorful/complex.
- More or less cheese: The amount of cheese is personal preference and may also vary depending on how you are serving the pesto sauce. You want more Parmesan for serving with pasta and less with fish. The potency of Parmesan can also vary, so be flexible.
- Don’t over-process the olive oil or your pesto sauce will taste bitter. Extra virgin olive oil is super sensitive to mechanical agitation – as in a blender or a food processor. Meaning, if you over-process the oil, its polyphenols can break away from the fatty acids causing oxidation which will make the pesto taste bitter. If you’re worried about this, you may stir the olive oil in by hand or even use canola oil.
- Let the flavors meld. Homemade pesto sauce is best if allowed to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving, preferable 2 hours, to let the flavors meld.
- Adjust the basil pesto recipe to your taste. If you’re not sure how garlicky, cheese or tangy you would like your basil pesto, start with less of the ingredients and gradually add more to taste. Take care, however, not to add whole ingredients to the already chopped sauce with olive oil or it can become over-processed/bitter. Instead, chop the ingredients then stir them in by hand.
- Ways to use pesto (see full list in post): Pesto Chicken Bake, Bruschetta Chicken, Creamy Pesto Pasta, Pesto Pasta Salad, Creamy Parmesan Pesto Chicken Skillet, Sheet Pan Parmesan Chicken and Vegetables, Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Parmesan, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes,–Lemon Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine, TikTok Feta Pasta.
Pesto Variations
Pesto is exquisite in its infinite versatility. Once you’ve made the classic basil pesto recipe, try changing it up! You can create an entirely different pesto recipe by using different leafy greens, nuts, seeds, veggies, etc. I’ve included specific recipes in the post, but here are some ideas to make your own:- Use a different basil: Try a different variety of basil such as large leaf Italian basil, lemon basil, mint basil, Greek basil, etc. Each will affect the taste of the recipe in an exciting new way.
- Swap in different greens: Swap some or all of the basil for other greens such as parsley, cilantro, mint, arugula, kale, spinach, etc., or play with a combination.
- Add herbs: In addition to basil, flavor the pesto with marjoram, mint, thyme or oregano.
- Swap in other cheese: Swap some of the Parmesan Reggiano for sharper, saltier, tangier, more pungent Pecorino Romano. You can even use Cotija cheese in combination with cilantro and pepitas.
- Swap in other nuts: Swap the pine nuts for almonds, walnuts, pecans cashews, or pistachios.
- Make it nut free: Swap the pine nuts for pumpkin seeds, pepitas, hemp seeds, etc.
- Punch up the flavor: Add anything to your pesto such as sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, anchovies, capers, olives, artichoke hearts, etc.
- Add some heat: I’m a big fan of adding a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Make vegan pesto: Substitute the cheese with a non-dairy cheese or add 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is nutty and cheesy.
Storage
Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the pesto (to help prevent browning) in the fridge for up to 5 days, but is freshest/best/most flavorful if used within the first 3 days. The oil will separate to the top after it has been sitting, so just give the pesto a stir once ready to use.TO FREEZE
- Option 1: Transfer pesto sauce to a freezer size bag and freeze flat or divide between multiple freezer bags in measured quantities. To use, thaw in the refrigerator or countertop or simply break off chunks of pesto to use whenever you need it.
- Option 2: Freeze pesto in an ice cube tray for smaller servings then transfer cubes to an airtight container after frozen solid. Let thaw in the refrigerator before using or add frozen directly to sauces, etc.
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L says
This was the BEST pesto I’ve ever had, let alone made! Thank you, Jenn, for cracking the pesto code! I grow my own basil, use Parmigano Reggiano, etc, but my pesto has always been lacklustre. Thank you for your olive oil tip on how to reduce bitterness. I never knew it was from over-processing. I used 2/3 cup oil total (and mixed canola & olive oil). Just spectacular!
Jen says
Yay! I am thrilled this recipe is a winner! Thank you so much for your glowing review, Lorrie!
Hilary says
Best Pesto i have ever eaten, thank you Jen
Jen says
You are so welcome, Hilary, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!