Something about homemade pesto just hits differently than store-bought. Trust me, I’m all about store-bought versions of anything (hi, convenience), but pesto is so easy – and too good – not to spend 5 minutes making your own at home.
This is probably the easiest pesto recipe you’ll ever see – and the most delicious. Take if from my usual test rabbit: my husband, Jordan. He usually hates all forms of pesto and happily ate this one for dinner the other night. It’s that good.
My favorite part about this basic recipe is how customizable it is: by using this basic formula, you can make pesto with multiple options depending on what you have in your kitchen.
Store pesto in an airtight container in the fridge – it’ll last about 3-4 days. Keep in mind, the texture may change slightly in the fridge, but the taste won’t. Just give it a good stir before eating 🙂 Or, you if want, you can also store it in the freezer and it’ll last up to a month.
Notes
- Greens: feel free to creative here – almost anything works! I used spinach, but you can also use kale, basil, beet greens or even carrots (yay for reducing food waste!).
- Nuts: again, most nuts will work just fine. I used pistachios because that’s what I had at home – a bit unconventional for pesto, but still tasted great. Other options include almonds, walnuts or even pecans.
- Oil: olive oil is my oil of choice, but any mild plant oil – like avocado oil – will also work well.
- Cheese: if you don’t love Parmesan or don’t want to use it, feel free to skip it. Or, for a dairy free version, swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast.
Ingredients
- 2 cups greens spinach, kale or basil
- 2 tablespoons nuts walnuts, almonds, pistachios
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except cheese. Blend until finely chopped and well combined.
- Add in cheese and blend until cheese is well incorporated.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
