Incredible Basil Pesto Recipe

A close-up of a glass jar filled with vibrant green basil pesto, garnished with a sprig of fresh basil, with a silver spoon resting on the side.

5 from 3 votes

The perfect basil pesto recipe for summertime. You will be the star of the show when you add the pesto to vegetables, chicken, pork or seafood. Just delicious.

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time7

Course: Condiments & Sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil sauce, pesto dressing, pesto recipe, pesto sauce

Servings: servings

Calories: 171kcal

Author: Scott G

Ingredients

3 cloves roasted garlic
2 cups fresh basil leaves loosely packed with stems removed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more to your taste
1 clove raw garlic or less if you don't like the flavor of raw garlic
1 tablespoon shallots minced
¼ cup cashews
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Parmesan finely grated
1 pinch kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add all the ingredients except the Parmesan into a food processor or immersion blender container. Process until the desired consistency has been achieved.
Remove the basil pesto from the container and mix in the Parmesan cheese.
Taste and adjust seasonings.
Enjoy!

Notes

If your pesto is too thick after you add the parmesan cheese, just add in some more olive oil. The consistency will thin out a bit. Conversely, if it is too thin, add in more parmesan and it will thicken quickly.

We love garlic here, but I find that raw garlic can really overpower a dish. The purpose of pesto is to enhance a dish, not overtake the entire thing... which is why I use roasted garlic. The shallots and reduced raw garlic make this basil pesto recipe really delightful.

I have an ice cube tray that is used for pesto. Any extra that I have goes into the tray and gets frozen. Once it is frozen through, remove from the ice cube tray and add to a freezer bag. Now you have pesto ready for whenever you might need it!

Nutrition