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closeup picture of pesto in a glass jar.

Pesto di Basilico

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5 from 140 reviews

This easy Pesto di Basilico is versatile, fresh, and so delicious. It's great on almost anything!

  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups Fresh Genovese Basil Leaves, tightly packed
  • 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
  • 1/4 cup Parmesano Reggiano cheese, grated or shredded
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 -1/3 cup Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Pack the basil leaves in a two cup measuring cup. Make sure they are tightly packed in the measuring cup.
  2. Remove the basil leaves from the measuring cup. Tear the stems off the leaves and roughly chop them.
  3. Peel the garlic clove and grate or shred the Parmesan cheese until you have the 1/4 cup needed (if it is not already shredded).
  4. Place the fresh basil leaves in the bowl of the food processor.
  5. Next, add the 1/4 cup pine nuts, the 1/4 cup parmesan, clove of garlic, the 1/4 tsp of salt, and the 1/2 tsp of black pepper to the food processor bowl.
  6. Pulse a few times to grind everything up.
  7. Starting with 1/4 cup, add the olive oil to the food processor. You can do this while it is still running or turn it off to add the oil if you prefer.
  8. Process until everything looks smooth. Turn off the food processor and stir the pesto with a rubber scraper. If it seems too thick, add a little more olive oil one tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches the right consistency. You don't want it too thick, but not too oily either.
  9. Turn off the food processor and stir with the rubber scraper again to check for any pine nuts that are left whole. Process again and keep checking until everything is ground up. This won't take long. You may only need to process one more time, or you may not need to at all.

Notes

Genovese basil is the best variety to use for this recipe.

If you don't have any olive oil you can use sunflower seed or avocado.

Romano or Grana Padano can be substituted for the Parmesan.

This recipe yields about 1 to 1 1/4 cup of pesto.

If you prefer, you may choose to add the pine nuts and cheese to the food processor first to grind them up and then add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 161
  • Sugar: 0
  • Sodium: 327
  • Fat: 15
  • Saturated Fat: 4
  • Unsaturated Fat: 10
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 3
  • Fiber: 1
  • Protein: 5
  • Cholesterol: 13

Find it online: https://thecoppertable.com/pesto-di-basilico/