pesto


Instructions


In a blender or food processor, combine the ingredients listed below, which makes about one pint of finished pesto.

For every 2 cups of basil leaves (washed, packed, and overflowing cups!) add:

  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese  (if you prefer to say “no” to cheese, either omit it completely, substitute with 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, and/or add a handful of raw cashews or pistachios)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (sub with 1/4 cup hemp hearts for those with nut allergies)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil*
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice*
  • 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt


Blend until smooth. 


Or, pulse if you prefer chunky basil.


*Note that I included a sliding scale for the amount of olive oil and lemon juice. I generally start on the lower end, adding more while blending until the desired consistency is reached. The amount may also vary depending on how tightly you packed your cups of basil. 

We often make a double batch, or more! Scale up all of the ingredients as needed. The ingredient feature photo was probably about 6x the recipe! In a 64-oz Vitamix, we can easily fill it with a double batch in one round of blending, no problemo. Then dump and repeat.


6 images in one. Each image is the same angle, showing the top of a vitamix blender. The first image is just basil in the blender, then each ingredient is added on top in subsequent photos: grated parmesan cheese, walnuts, salt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and then a final image of the bright green pesto, after blending.

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Storage & Use


Our freezer is always stocked with homemade garden pesto! It is easy and safe to freeze excess pesto in wide-mouth mason jars. When we make a batch, we generally keep out a small portion and freeze the rest. This pesto will last for about a week in the refrigerator, and a year in the freezer! The addition of lemon is a great natural preservative, and also helps it maintain a beautiful bright green color. 

When freezing, we’ve found the half-pint size portions are perfect for our little family of two (humans). Make sure to get the jars labelled “freezer safe”. Other types can crack, especially those with shoulders. Add pesto into the jars up to their “fill line”, leaving about half an inch of room on top. Throw on a lid, freeze, done! To defrost, we simply pull a jar out a day or two before we want to use it and pop it in the fridge. Use within one week of defrosting. 


Want to know a secret?

In addition to all the classic ways to use pesto, such as with pasta, pizza, sautéed mixed veggies, or on homemade sourdough bread, we learned a couple pretty rad ways to use this pesto too. One is to add a dollop of pesto mixed with eggs, like you would milk or cheese when whipping up scrambled eggs, or even when making a quiche or frittata. Green eggs, anyone?

Even more, make a killer pesto salad dressing! When we have about a half a small jar or less, we top off and thin down the remaining pesto in the jar with some extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, another squeeze of fresh lemon, maybe a dash of apple cider vinegar – and boom! The result is a pourable, delectable pesto salad dressing. So good.

For more ways to use pesto, check out our Pesto Zoodles recipe, or this cast iron sourdough pizza crust recipe. Besto Pesto takes them to the next level of delicious.


A hand holds a half-pint jar of bright green creamy pesto. Three other full jars are in the background beyond the hand.
The finished product.


So simple, right?!


And remember, frequently harvesting your basil keeps it coming back even bushier and stronger! Harvest now, and plan to make this a few times this summer. We always do.


In all, I hope you enjoy this pesto recipe! If you make it, please report back and let us know how you like it.


Stay tuned for many more quick and easy recipes to use and preserve garden harvests, or produce you pick up at the farmer’s market! As always, feel free to ask questions ~ and spread the love by passing it on.


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“The Besto Pesto” Lemon Walnut Basil Pesto Recipe

Nothing says "summer" quite like fresh basil! But what about when summer is over? Or, when you have too much basil on hand to use fresh? This is the perfect pesto recipe to enjoy now, or, freeze to enjoy all year long! Enjoy our nut-free and dairy-free variations if you desire.
Prep Time20 mins
Processing Time5 mins
Total Time25 mins
Course: Dressing, Sauce, Side Dish
Keyword: Basil Pesto, Pesto, Vegetarian
Servings: 1 pint

Equipment

  • Blender, or food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Washed fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 1/2 cup Grated parmesan cheese (Vegan variation: substitute with 1 tbsp nutritional yeast and/or a handful of raw cashews)
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts (Nut allergies? Substitute with 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, or 1/4 cup hemp seeds or sunflower seeds)
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup Olive oil*
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup Lemon juice*
  • 2 – 3 cloves Garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions

  • Wash basil and remove leaves from stems.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients as listed above.
  • *Start with 1/3 cup each of lemon juice and olive oil, and add more as needed to reach your desired consistency.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Enjoy! Store in the refrigerator, and use within one week.
  • Add to freezer-safe wide-mouth jars if you intend to preserve it. Freeze, and use within one year.


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