Classic basil pesto sauce with pine nuts and Parmesan cheese

A classic fresh basil pesto sauce is a traditional Italian condiment that is as easy as it gets to make. The homemade result will be superior to any store bought version. It is the ultimate summer flavor and is as versatile as you would want a sauce / condiment to be.

Use pesto sauce in abundance to make a dominant statement, like a pasta sauce or a marinade for fish or meat, or use gingerly simply to add that hint of summer in a salad dressing or a ham and cheese sandwich.

Pesto sauce is best made from scratch

Here at Palette Come Cuisine’s kitchen we always make our pesto from scratch.

Fresh basil picked and ready to be sorted for pesto sauce. Use only leaves, no stems or blooms!

When you try commercial versions, it is clear that in order to cut on cost most of them use shortcuts. Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil and organic pine nuts are all costly ingredients, so commercial versions tend to use alternatives like cheaper nuts, lower grade cheese, or even replacing some or all of the extra virgin olive oil with cheaper oils. And, because basil can also get pricey, you might get a “basil pesto sauce” that tastes more like parsley or arugula. You can guess why!

On top of that, because we help many customers with different allergy and health challenges, wed start by creating an allergen free, namely tree nut free and dairy free version, that consists of olive oil, basil and garlic. We store it frozen in 8oz. containers, and add nuts, cheese and salt only when we know who will be the recipient of the pesto sauce, This allows for much more versatility while keeping storage space to a minimum as we do not have to prep and store all versions.

Classic Pesto Sauce

Classic traditional pesto sauce is made with basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt. It goes through minimal processing, so use the highest grade ingredients you can find as there is no covering up of the flavor. What you mix is what you taste!

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Prep Time 10

Course Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 cup

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

2 cup Basil Leaves Fresh, bright, and wiped
1/2 cup Olive Oil Extra Virgin
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese shaved or grated
1-3 clove Garlic
1/2 tsp salt

Optional

1/2 tsp Black Pepper If you like your pesto extra sharp
2 tsp Lemon Juice if going to use immediately, without freezing, and looking for a brighter note,

Instructions

In a food processor bowl place garlic, half the basil leaves, salt and pepper (if using). Pulse to a coarse mix.
Add half the olive oil, and pulse to blend. Use a spatula to get the pesto off the sides of the food processor's bowl.

If going to use the pesto when done:

Add the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, and pulse to blend.
Add the remaining pesto leaves and olive oil and pulse until you get a mixture in the consistency you like. We like it a bit coarse, but it can be as smooth as you want it to be.
Enjoy!

If going to store the pesto in the freezer:

Add the remaining olive oil and leaves, and pulse to the consistency you like.
Divide into small containers, top with a little olive oil to create an oxidation oil barrier, and store in the freezer up to 6 months.
Remember to add nuts and cheese to the mix once thawed! You will need to get your food processor dirty again…

Notes

Variations:

Replace some or all of the leaves with herbs to your liking. From parsley cilantro and dill to arugula and spinach there is no “wrong mix”, and it is all comes down to what you like and what is available.
If pine nuts are a concern due to allergies, dislike or cost, walnuts are a great alternative. However, any nut will do: try hazelnuts or macadamia nuts for a more sophisticated flavor profile, almonds or pecans for a more basic flavor, or any mix you like.
If you want a nut-free version, sunflower seed or pumpkin seed (pepitas) are a great alternative.
Add a few teaspoons of lemon juice if you want the flavor a bit “brighter”. If freezing that brightness will disappear and you will have to add more lemon juice after thawing.
Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino romano are the classic cheese choices for pesto sauce. You can use other varieties, but you will have to forgo some of the complexity of flavor these cheeses provide.

Keyword basil, Basil Leaves, Easy, extra virgin olive oil, Nuts, olive oil, Parmesan Cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pesto Sauce, Pine Nuts

How to use pesto sauce

Now that you have your pesto sauce, you are probably asking “so what can I do with this condiment”?!

The classic way to use pesto sauce is as a sauce for pasta, with or without added cream, along with some of the pasta cooking water to have a nicer creamy texture that will coat the pasta perfectly.

Other optional uses are:

A marinade for roasted meats, from fish and chicken to lamb, pork and beef.
A spread on your sandwich. We love an egg and cheese sandwich with a pesto base! be ginger with quantities though: a little goes a long way.
An addition to your eggs, omelet or scrambled, to get that “summer flavor”
Add a dollop to a flat plate with olive oil and Parmesan cheese to enjoy with bread as an appetizer
Use as an additional condiment whenever serving meat, especially kebabs of all sorts
Use as a base to a white pizza. Our favorite is pizza with pesto sauce, broccoli, chicken breast and goat cheese.
Add to a Caprese salad for additional basil punch

Storing and Freezing

Pesto sauce can be stored refrigerated for a couple of weeks, but it is best kept frozen.

If you added nuts and cheese from the get-go it will not last more than a few months, but if you kept the mixture without nuts and cheese you can freeze up to six months in an airtight container.