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Making your own authentic Italian basil pesto – pesto Genovese is so easy and there’s no cooking involved. You’re going to love the fresh taste of this creamy pesto sauce and how much better it tastes than anything from the grocery store. This recipe makes an uncooked cold sauce that you can use in many ways, such as tossing it with pasta, adding a smear to a sandwich, or using as a zesty condiment, or tasty dip. If you’re growing your own basil, this is such a tasty recipe to use it in.
Italian basil pesto – pesto Genovese – is a delicious condiment with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil, for a very tasty result.
You might also like to make Italian salsa verde, tangy garlic marinara sauce, whole lemon vinaigrette, or creamy blue cheese dressing.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy: This recipe involves little more than combining the ingredients using a marble mortar and pestle. There’s no cooking and no fiddly steps.
Fresh flavors: This creamy pesto sauce recipe boasts the most incredible fresh flavors, superior to anything you would experience if using canned pesto instead.
Versatile: Pesto is always great served with pasta but that’s only one way to use your perfect pesto. It’s also amazing spread on homemade bread or toast or you can use it as a component in risottos, for example.
Authentic Italian Basil Pesto Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Garlic: Adds robust, savory flavor, forming the base of the pesto.
Sea salt flakes: Enhances overall taste and helps grind ingredients into a smooth paste.
Pine nuts: Provide a mild, buttery flavor and creamy texture.
Fresh basil: Delivers bright, aromatic herb flavor and vibrant color.
Parmesan cheese: Adds salty depth and a rich, savory element.
Extra virgin olive oil: Incorporates all ingredients together, adding richness and smooth consistency.
How to Make Authentic Pesto
For more detailed instructions, with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Combine the salt and garlic: Mix these ingredients together with a mortar and pestle.
Add more ingredients: Add the pine nuts and then the basil, bit by bit.
Finish the pesto: Mix in the cheese and olive oil, grinding to a paste, then transfer into a glass jar or sealable container and refrigerate.
Substitutions and Variations
Basil: Basil is a strong herb for some and a little goes a long way. You can mellow out the pesto by substituting half of the basil with fresh baby spinach leaves or kale, or even some parsley.
Pine nuts: Substitute walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, or cashews.
Parmesan cheese: Swap the parmesan for pecorino romano cheese, fiore sardo (pecorino cheese) or another Italian hard cheese.
Optional add-ins: Although not authentic, some people like to add lemon juice for a bright zing and to bring out the fresh basil flavor, or a little avocado for creaminess and nuttiness.
Serving Suggestions
With pasta: The most popular way to enjoy an authentic Genovese pesto recipe is to toss it with hot, cooked pasta.
As a spread: Try it as a spread in an Italian chicken sandwich in place of butter or mayo.
With soup: Add some dollops of fresh pesto on top of homemade tomato soup, to add Italian flair.
More ways to use it: Spread pesto on warm focaccia or fresh bread, enjoy it as a sauce for vegetables, try it on pizza or add it on top of vine-ripened summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella or burrata tomato salad.
How to Store Homemade Pesto
Store: Fresh basil pesto will keep for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to add slick of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation and browning if I’m not using the pesto right away.
Freeze: Divide the basil between the holes in an ice cube tray. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top. Once frozen, you can transfer them into a freezer bag or freezer safe airtight container. Alternatively, freeze it in a small sealed jar and use within 4 months.
Thaw: Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter (the thawing time depends how much you’re thawing at once, as pesto ice cubes will thaw faster than one huge block of pesto).
Top Tips
Use fresh basil: Choose bright green basil leaves without bruising or brown spots for the freshest flavor.
Toast the pine nuts: Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry pan to enhance their natural flavor and add depth to the pesto.
Add oil gradually: Incorporate olive oil slowly while mixing to achieve your preferred consistency.
Crush, don’t chop: Crushing ingredients with a mortar releases their essential oils, providing superior flavor compared to blending or chopping.
Adjust consistency as needed: Thin pesto with extra oil for dressings, or keep thicker for spreading and dipping.
Authentic Italian Pesto Recipe FAQs
The herbal, nutty, creamy taste of pesto makes a delicious pasta sauce, condiment, or dip. Try it spread over fish or chicken before baking it, or serve it as a dip with your favourite crackers, toast or breadsticks.
Yes you can, if you want to save time or you don’t have a marble mortar and pestle like this one or even a wooden pestle. I advise pulsing the nuts and basil rather than trying to make your Genovese sauce recipe completely smooth, because a little texture works well with this traditional recipe.
Pesto is originates in Genoa, which is located in the northern Italy in the Liguria region. Traditional basil pesto is named after the pestatura, which is how it is made. There are different versions, including red pesto which is made with sun dried tomatoes as the main ingredient.
Basil Pesto Recipe
Authentic Italian Basil Pesto – Pesto Genovese
Equipment
- Mortar and Pestle
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add sea salt flakes and garlic cloves to a marble mortar and crush into a paste.
- Next, add the pine nuts and crush.
- Add basil leaves 1 tablespoon at a time. Use the mortar to crush into a paste. Continue adding basil until all leaves are used.
- Add the grated parmesan and grind into paste.
- Add in the olive oil and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer into a sealable container or glass jar keep and refrigerated.
Notes
Toast the pine nuts: Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry pan to enhance their natural flavor and add depth to the pesto.
Add oil gradually: Incorporate olive oil slowly while mixing to achieve your preferred consistency.
Crush, don’t chop: Crushing ingredients with a mortar releases their essential oils, providing superior flavor compared to blending or chopping.
Adjust consistency as needed: Thin pesto with extra oil for dressings, or keep thicker for spreading and dipping.
Nutrition
Authentic Italian basil pesto – pesto Genovese – is bursting with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Easy to make in a mortar and pestle, it’s perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or dipping bread. Make your own pesto at home—it’s fresh, flavorful, and so much better than store-bought. It freezes well too, making it a great sauce to have on hand.
Other Recipes to try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I’m second generation Italian from the hills of Genoa and I like your recipe but I have a problem with recipes for pesto. In my nearly 70 years of making this, first using a huge mortar and pestle and then a blender, I have never had pesto with pine nuts, not in my home town of San Francisco or in Genoa. I’ve had it elsewhere and it tasted odd to me. I’m not saying not to use it but try it without and save your money if you like it. In Italy I had it with an obscene amount of butter, I tried it at home.and also tried it mixed with parsley. I prefer it plain and never with salt or lemon but we use 4-6 cloves of garlic! Another use is a base for minestrone. Either way, manga miei amici!
I will have to try it like this. I am sure the extra garlic is delicious.
We had no idea making homemade pesto was so easy. It tasted great too. We had some with pasta and some on a chicken sandwich and still have some left.
Simple, and so delicious. My new go-to Basil Pesto recipe!
I usually just use storebought pesto but I decided to try homemade and I’m glad I did! This was so good!
So easy and tasty. I mixed it in with shredded chicken for a delicious sandwich filling.
This really is the most authentic pesto I’ve had outside of Italy! While it’s delicious on pasta, I really love it on fresh bread to fully enjoy the taste!
This pesto was easy to make and absolutely delicious! I enjoyed mine on fresh toasted French bread as an appetizer. I will definitely make it again!
Love this pesto! Freezes so well too.