Savor the Flavor of Summer with Easy Homemade Basil Pesto

Savor the flavor of summer and enjoy your harvest of basil in your winter recipes with an easy recipe for Homemade Basil Pesto. Freezer-friendly and so much better than store bought!

Happy Monday!

I hope you had a great Fourth of July holiday weekend and are staying cool.

We always plant a couple of pots of basil in the spring.

With our 90+ degree temps, our basil is beginning to flower and bolt.

 Once your basil flowers, it goes to seed and stops producing foliage,

resulting in bitter tasting basil.

I also noticed some critters are starting

to munch on the leaves. . . time to use it or lose it!

I make a couple of batches of pesto each summer and store some in the freezer

to enjoy for the fall and winter months.

This pesto recipe is one I’ve used for 20 years and comes from Ina Garten,

so you know it’s good!

This recipe makes 28 oz. or (3) 8 oz. jars + (1) 4 oz. jar,

some to enjoy now, freeze for later and share!

You’ll need 5 cups of packed fresh basil leaves,

but you can scale this pesto recipe down if you don’t have enough basil or

supplement with baby spinach or arugula to make 5 cups.

You’ll want to use unblemished leaves, discarding any flowering bits on your plant.

Basil is an aromatic herb and perishable so it should be used

within a day or two after cutting.

Washing and soaking the leaves will remove the oils, i.e. flavor, from your basil, so

 rinse it in a colander and gently pat it dry instead of submerging your leaves in water.

Since olive oil is one of the main ingredients, you want to use a good quality olive oil for your pesto.

My preference is to use extra virgin olive oil,

but it can have a bitter flavor,

so use the preferred olive oil for your taste.

You can find Taste of Home’s Test Kitchen’s preferred olive oil brands, HERE.

The only changes I make from Ina’s pesto recipe is reducing the amount of garlic.

Raw garlic has a bite, so for a milder garlic flavor, reduce the amount of garlic or

substitute roasted garlic cloves for raw cloves.

I also use pine nuts, instead of a combination of walnuts and pine nuts which Ina uses,

and toast my pine nuts which enhances their flavor.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make Summer Basil Pesto:

🌱 5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

🌱 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

🌱 4 – 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped; depending on how large cloves are or how ‘garlicky’ you like your pesto

🌱 1 teaspoon kosher salt

🌱 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

🌱 1 1/2 cups good olive oil

🌱 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

To toast pine nuts:

Place the pine nuts in a single layer in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat.

Stir occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning.

Cook for 3–5 minutes until they start to smell fragrant and begin to turn golden brown.

Remove pine nuts from skillet and transfer to a plate to cool briefly before making pesto.

To make pesto:

Place the pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds.

Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil

through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.

Add Parmesan and puree for a minute.

Transfer pesto to freezer safe jars or containers and store pesto

with a thin film of olive oil on top to keep pesto from oxidizing (turning brown).

 and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

Don’t worry if your pesto seems runny; olive oil solidifies when refrigerated

so your pesto will thicken and firm up as it chills.

Pesto will keep in the refrigerator 1 – 2 weeks or 6 months in the freezer for best flavor.

To use, let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

 I’ve used pesto after 9 months in the freezer without noticing any deterioration of flavor.

After each use, add a little more olive oil to the top of pesto to keep it

fresh and from browning; stir before using.

Looking for ways to enjoy your pesto?

Add spoonfuls to your pasta or meat sauce; I like to add it to the ricotta filling in lasagna.

Stir pesto into pasta salad or use on pizza instead of tomato sauce. . .

Tomato, Basil Pesto, and Corn Pizza

Drizzle it over caprese salad, antipasto skewers

 or stir into your tomato pie filling. . .

Heirloom Tomato Pie

Thin your pesto with olive oil and vinegar for a flavorful salad dressing;

give your bowl of tomato soup an easy flavor upgrade,

or stir some in Ina Garten’s Minestrone Soup.

Print Recipe

Summer Basil Pesto

Savor the flavor of summer and enjoy your harvest of basil in your winter recipes with an easy recipe for Homemade Basil Pesto. Fresher and so much more flavorful than store bought. Makes 28 oz. or (3) 8 oz. jars + (1) 4 oz. jar   

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time0 minutes mins

Course: sauce

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: basil, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pesto, summer

Servings: 28 ounces

Equipment

• food processor or blender

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh basil leaves packed
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 4 - 6 cloves garlic peeled and chopped depending on how large cloves are or how ‘garlicky’ you like your pesto
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups good olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

To toast pine nuts:

• Place the pine nuts in a single layer in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat.
• Stir occasionally to prevent the nuts from burning.
• Cook for 3–5 minutes until they start to smell fragrant and are begin to turn golden brown. Remove pine nuts from skillet and transfer to a plate to cool briefly before making pesto.

To make pesto:

• Place the pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds.
• Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed.
• Add Parmesan and puree for a minute.
• Transfer pesto to clean jars and store pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top to keep pesto from oxidizing (turning brown).
• Pesto will keep in the refrigerator 1 - 2 weeks or 6 months in the freezer for best flavor. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge. I’ve kept some 9 months in the freezer without noticing any deterioration of flavor. After each use, add a little more olive oil to the top of pesto to keep it fresh and from browning; stir before using.

Notes

• Basil is an aromatic herb and perishable so it should be used within a day or two after cutting. Washing and soaking the leaves will remove the oils, i.e. flavor, from the leaves. To wash, gently rinse your basil in a colander or wipe leaves with a damp paper towel to preserve the flavor. Remove basil leaves from stems, discarding blemished leaves or flower bits, measuring 5 packed cups. You can supplement with baby spinach or baby arugula if you don’t have enough.
• Store pesto in a container or jar with the smallest top surface area possible for less oxidation. Don't worry if your pesto seems thin and runny; olive oil solidifies when refrigerated so your pesto will thicken and firm up as it chills.
• For milder garlic flavor, use roasted garlic cloves.
• Substitute other nuts for pine nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts or use a combination.
• Extra virgin olive oil tends to be more bitter than a pure olive oil, so use the olive oil of your preference for a milder flavor.

You might also like:

Basil Salt

Infuse the flavor of summer in your salt for summer tomatoes

Find Garden Fresh Tomato Recipes for Summer, HERE.

You’ll find recipes for Heirloom Tomato Pie, Hot Bacon Caprese Salad,

BLT Bruschetta, Easy Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts, Cheese Straw Tomato Tartlets,

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Bacon-Studded Crust, and a Farmers Market Bloody Mary!

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Metamorphosis Monday