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–+ servings
A white bowl of fresh basil pesto with sprigs of fresh pesto and walnut pieces scattered nearby
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Homemade Basil Pesto

This easy homemade basil pesto is just 5 ingredients, including walnuts instead of pine nuts, and comes out gorgeous, fresh and delicious in only 5 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Yield: 1 ¾ cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • ¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup walnuts (see notes)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, halved
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Add the basil, Parmesan, walnuts, garlic, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard blade. Pulse until everything is finely chopped and broken down.
  • Slowly stream the oil in through the top open feed tube, while running the processor, until it’s well combined and the pesto is smooth. Scrape down the sides and process again, if needed.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap (push it onto the surface of the pesto), and refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Walnuts are much more accessible and much less expensive than pine nuts, which are traditional in many pesto recipes. You can certainly substitute some or all pine nuts for the walnuts in this recipe, if you prefer.
Technically, you are supposed to stream in the oil slowly so it gets well incorporated and creates a smooth pesto, as described in the recipe below. However, I’ve also used my mini food processor before (which does not have a top feed tube) and dumped in all of the oil and processed it again that way. It worked just fine.
A good blender would be an OK substitute if you don’t have a food processor.

Storage tips for homemade pesto:

  • This pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Keep it in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap that is pushed down and touching the surface of the pesto to form a tighter seal and to prevent air from reaching it.
  • You can also freeze extra pesto. Freeze in small ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove the pesto cubes, transfer to a freezer safe bag (that’s been labelled and dated) and freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 189mg
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