This 4-ingredient, vegan, fresh basil pesto recipe is perfect for dips, pasta, salads, soups, food bowls, toasts, and crackers. This is the classic pesto recipe made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, salt & pepper, pine nuts, and Olive oil.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time0 minutesmins
Total Time5 minutesmins
Course: Dips, Sauce
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: Helpful How-tos, no-cook recipes, pesto
Servings: 10tbsp
Calories: 56kcal
Equipment
Chopper
Cutting Board and knife
Measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
2cupsfresh basil leavesstems removed
1-2clovesgarlicSmash with knife, peel and add whole
2tbsppine nuts
¼cupOlive oilextra virgin
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Add basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and pepper to a chopper jar. Blend until they are finely chopped.
Scrape the sides add olive oil and blend again to combine. Reserve about ½ tbsp of olive oil to add to pesto while storing*.
Adjust for seasoning and empty into a bowl for serving or jar to store.
*To store basil pesto, choose the smallest possible glass jar with a small air-tight lid and add a tbsp of olive oil on top as a layer. This would prevent oxidation of basil leaves.
Fresh home-made pesto will stay good in the fridge for a week. The pesto might turn slightly darker but that’s okay.