Sauce & dipBeginner-friendly🌍 Public★ 5.0 (1)
Classic Basil Pesto
shared by masteroon
For pasta, loosen the pesto with 3–5 tablespoons of warm pasta water before mixing. Don’t cook pesto directly over heat—it tastes freshest when stirred into hot pasta after the pan is removed from the stove. The secret: dry basil, excellent olive oil and Parmesan, minimal garlic, and keeping everything cool.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Beginner-friendly
Keep this recipe in your family cookbook — free forever.
Save recipeIngredients
- 50 gfresh basil leaves, washed and completely dried
- 40 gpine nuts, lightly toasted and cooled
- 1small garlic clove
- 60 gfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 20 gfinely grated Pecorino Romano
- 120 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tspsalt, plus more to taste
- 1 tspfresh lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- 1Pulse the garlic, pine nuts, and salt in a food processor until finely chopped.
- 2Add the basil and pulse briefly—avoid processing continuously, which can heat and darken it.
- 3Add both cheeses and pulse again.
- 4With the machine running on low, slowly pour in the olive oil until creamy but still slightly textured.
- 5Taste and adjust the salt. Add lemon juice if you want a brighter flavor.
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