This fresh homemade pesto only requires 5 simple ingredients and it is a sauce made of basil, pinenuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. It is great to have for grilled foods in the Summer such as grilled shrimp or chicken, make a pasta salad with it, or drizzle it over a Caprese salad.
This recipe makes about a cup of pesto and there are 16 tablespoons in 1 cup. 1 tablespoon is 2 smart points.
If you love pesto try it in my Pesto Eggs, Pesto Pasta Pizza, Pesto Grilled Shrimp, or Tunacado Sandwich viral Tiktok Recipe. IT goes great with these recipes!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Basil is definitely a plant that grows like crazy during the Summer and if there's plenty of it in your garden make pesto with it.
You can freeze any leftover pesto in ice cube trays and use them later on for dishes during colder months.
This recipe only requires 5 ingredients and it takes less than 10 minutes to make. Store it in an airtight container to use throughout the Summer for grilled food.
It makes a great sauce for Pizzas.
Ingredients for Homemade Pesto
Fresh Basil: do not use dried basil here, always use fresh from a garden or the supermarket.
Fresh Parmesan: You can grate your own parmesan cheese or buy the stuff pre-shredded in the bag.
Pinenuts - These nuts can get a little spendy per pound. If you are looking for another type of nut that can be subbed instead of pinenuts, try walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
Olive Oil - Stream the olive oil in after the above ingredients are well blended
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Homemade Pesto
Step 1: Add the basil leaves, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper to taste to a food processor or blender. Process half of these ingredients first before adding in the olive oil.
Step 2: Stream in the olive oil while the blender is processing the other ingredients. Continue blending until well combined, adding additional olive oil if needed.
Note: Some food processors do not have a place to stream in olive oil so just take the lid off and add it in.
Step 3: Store the pesto in a jar or plastic container with an airtight lid. It will last in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze homemade pesto in ice cube trays.
What can pesto be used for?
- Spread it on top of Air Fryer Garlic Bread or homemade pizza.
- Enjoy Pesto with eggs in the morning for breakfast. Pesto Eggs
- Add pesto to a pasta salad. It will immediately elevate any pasta dish and make it look 10 times fancier.
- Use it as a marinade for fish or any type of protein.
- Vegetables: Drizzle homemade pesto over some roasted or smoked potatoes in foil.
Recipe FAQs
Pesto consists of 4 easy ingredients and those are basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and parmesan cheese.
Any kind of nut is great for homemade pesto. You can try it with pistachios, walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts.
Always store any leftover pesto in airtight containers or jars in the fridge. The pesto can last for up to 5 days.
Yes you can freeze homemade pesto! Spoon any leftovers into an icecube tray and freeze it. Then take the cubes out and put them in freezer bags to use in dishes during the Winter.
Other Great Grilling Recipes for Summer
If you tried this Homemade Pesto or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Weight Watchers Pesto
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10min
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Pesto is a sauce made of basil, pinenuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. You can brush it on grilled shrimp or chicken, add it to pasta or make a pasta salad with it, or drizzle it over a Caprese salad.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the basil leaves, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper to taste to a food processor or blender. Process half of these ingredients first before adding in the olive oil.
- Stream in the olive oil while the blender is processing the other ingredients. Continue blending until well combined, adding additional olive oil if needed.
- Store the pesto in a jar or plastic container with an airtight lid. It will last in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze homemade pesto in ice cube trays.
Notes
my WW: blue 2; green 2; purple: 2 (1 tablespoon)
Some food processors do not have a place to stream in olive oil so just take the lid off and add it in.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Jenna says
Thanks Nancy!
Nancy says
Finally have my own basil and this was the first pesto recipe I tried. Big success! Guest commented that it was tastier than the pesto her friend makes and the friend is a local chef! Used my blender, but should have used a food processor. Next time.