You'll love this homemade basil pesto recipe, featuring vibrant and aromatic notes of basil, salty cheese, and pine nuts, all pounded together to form a beautifully creamy texture. After countless hours researching and testing, I'm sharing my absolute favorite herb pesto, made with the freshest ingredients and traditional techniques.
Here in New England, we're in that funny in-between period between spring and summer. Overnight, it seemed like the world around us transformed from dull grays and brown to vibrant greens. With herbs in abundance, it's a fitting time to develop a classic pesto recipe.
I had such a fun time researching the traditional ways of making Ligurian pesto and trying to come up with a version that could match the original flavors I enjoyed in Italy (like with my lemon pesto). While it's costly and challenging to create an exact copycat (you'll see why below!), You'll be quite happy with the recipe I came up with; after all, it's incredibly flavorful and far superior to the store-bought varieties.
Ingredient Notes
I apologize in advance for the lengthy list of notes on ingredients, but the fact is, they're vital here (so vital that a consortium has determined the qualifications for each element!). To make a really good pesto, you need to start with very high-quality produce.
The Basil
- If you can get your hands on it, Genovese basil is the best option due to its sweet, aromatic flavor and softer feel. All Gotham Greens basil is Genovese-style, and you can find it in natural food stores like Whole Foods.
- Otherwise, if you're struggling to find it in your local grocery store, an alternative option is to grow your own basil; most garden stores will sell you a thriving herb plant!
- A more generic variety will still be lovely but might yield a slightly stringier consistency. Thai basil will not work here.
TIP: Most of the time, Genovese basil is labeled as "Italian Basil"; if it has soft, cupped, medium-sized leaves, you're usually good to go!
Whatever you end up choosing, make sure to pick the smaller leaves, as they have a smoother, less fibrous texture.
The Cheese
As with every other component, you'll need some good-quality cheese!
- Traditionally, you use a mix of freshly grated aged parmigiano-reggiano cheese with a little pecorino sardo/pecorino fiore sardo.
- The latter can be tricky to find, but I'd recommend calling up your local specialty cheese shop.
- If you can't find that style of pecorino, you'll want to use about half the amount of pecorino romano cheese. Where sardo is earthy and nutty, romano is sharp and tangy.
The Olive Oil
Ligurian olive oil is a great option if you have it (though it can be pricey!); otherwise, use your favorite finishing extra-virgin olive oil.
For a full list of ingredients and their quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
Best Equipment for Pesto
The two most common ways of making pesto are in a mortar and pestle or a food processor.
Testing
I made a whole batch of pesto, divided the batch into two equal parts, and compared the results using both types of equipment.
Results
Food Processor (Modern Method)
- Texture: More similar to a store-bought variety, with very fine bits of nuts, garlic, basil, etc. dispersed throughout. Not super creamy.
- Flavor: Well-balanced with notes of salty cheese and garlic throughout. Not super basil forward.
Mortar and Pestle (Traditional Method):
- Texture: Lovely, creamy consistency with non-uniform pieces of basil throughout. Some of the basil was very slightly stringy.
- Flavor: Well-balanced with a strong aromatic basil flavor.
The good news? Both methods yielded a tasty result. However, with the food processor, you lose some of the fresh basil flavor.
I can see why the mortar and pestle is often touted as the best, as it produces a unique and lovely basil-forward sauce that I've genuinely never tasted in a store-bought variety.
According to Serious Eats, a marble mortar with a wooden pestle is most traditional, but I tried both a molcajete and a marble mortar/pestle combo and they worked fine.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1 - Remove any large, tough stems from your basil, then plunge and wash in ice-cold water.
Step 2 - In a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic and salt into a fine paste. Add the pine nuts and do the same.
TIP: No mortar? You can also use a food processor! In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic, salt, basil, pine nuts, and cheese until very finely chopped. While it's still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a paste forms.
Step 3 - Pick out a handful of basil from the ice bath, squeezing out any excess water. Smash the basil into small bits, then repeat with the remaining herbs.
Step 4 - The goal is a rustic consistency — creamy but with visible, uneven pieces of basil throughout. It's okay if the herbs are not fully integrated into a homogenous paste.
Step 5 - Once all the basil has been incorporated, add the cheese and continue pounding. This is a bit of a workout, so I like to take a 30-second break every few minutes to give my arm a rest.
Step 6 - Once the paste is creamy, with small (but still uneven) pieces of herbs, drizzle in the olive oil and stir to incorporate. Taste and season accordingly.
Expert Tip
Make this pesto your own! It should taste vibrantly aromatic and earthy, with plenty of salt and a hint of garlic. Want more umami? Add a bit more cheese. Not creamy enough? Add more olive oil.
Note: I prefer less oil than most recipes call for, but don't be shy about adding more if you like!
I like to season it so that it's a bit stronger than I'd prefer on its own; that way, when you mix it with pasta, it's perfectly salted.
Step 7 - Serve: Toss the sauce with your favorite pasta (and a little pasta water) until well-incorporated. Avoid heating, as it can muddy the bright flavors.
Looking for more ideas? I love pairing this with homemade potato gnocchi, boiled potatoes, or roasted branzino. It's also great dolloped on top of my brothy beans!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, generally, blanching the basil will help it retain its bright green color. But if I have to prioritize flavor vs. aesthetics, I'll always choose flavor. Unfortunately, the raw, fresh, herbaceous notes of basil are lost during the blanching process. To keep the color as green as possible, try to use the herbs on the same day you buy them (even a day at room temperature or in the fridge will cause them to start blackening) and work as quickly as possible.
If your store-bought basil is stringy, it was likely harvested from an older plant with tougher leaves and stems or is a hardier variety of basil. Choose bunches with small, tender leaves (preferably Genovese!) and avoid ones with thick or woody stems.
Traditionally, Ligurians pair this with two shapes called bavette and trenette; in a pinch, linguine works great! Gnocchi or trofie are another great option, often tossed with potatoes, green beans, or even fava beans.
Fresh pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. To help prevent browning, smooth the surface and top it with a thin layer of olive oil before sealing.
Yes, you can freeze pesto! Spoon it into an ice cube tray or small containers, freeze until solid, then transfer to a sealed bag or container. Frozen pesto lasts for up to 3 months. For best flavor and color, thaw it in the fridge and stir before using.
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Traditional Pesto alla Genovese
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¾ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt, or ⅜ teaspoon Morton Kosher Salt | plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 65 grams stemmed Genovese basil leaves, from 100g basil (with stems) or 65g pre-stemmed basil | see notes
- 20 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, about ¼ cup | lightly packed
- 10 grams Pecorino Fiore Sardo, about 2 tablespoons, lightly packed | see notes on using Pecorino Romano instead
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Prep the Herbs:
- Plunge stemmed basil leaves into a large bowl of ice water to remove any grit and preserve their color. Set aside.
Mortar and Pestle Method:
- Smash 2 cloves garlic with ¾ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt into a fine paste in a mortar and pestle. Add 3 tablespoons pine nuts and mash into a rough, creamy paste. Squeeze out any excess water from the basil leaves, then add about a quarter of the 65 grams stemmed Genovese basil leaves to the mortar and pestle. Continue mashing until mostly disintegrated, then repeat with the remaining batches of basil. Stir in 20 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 10 grams Pecorino Fiore Sardo until the pesto is somewhat creamy, with small, uneven bits of basil flecked throughout. While pounding, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil until nicely creamy.
Food Processor Method:
- Add 2 cloves garlic, ¾ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt, 3 tablespoons pine nuts, 65 grams stemmed Genovese basil leaves, 20 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and 10 grams Pecorino Fiore Sardo to a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse into a slightly chunky paste. Drizzle in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil and continue pulsing until creamy but still textured.
Season and Taste:
- Season pesto with additional salt to taste (if desired).Make this pesto your own! It should taste vibrantly aromatic and earthy, with plenty of salt and a hint of garlic. Want more umami? Add a bit more cheese. Not creamy enough? Add more olive oil.I like to season it so that it's a bit stronger than I'd prefer on its own; that way, when you mix it with pasta, it's perfectly salted.
Notes
Serving with Pasta: My preferred ratio is 1 tablespoon pesto: 1 ounce pasta. Cook pasta until boiling, then drain and toss with pasta off the heat (heat will muddy the flavors!) and a little pasta water if needed. Recipe adapted from Pasta Grannies - Maurizio's Pesto
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Other recipes you might like:
References
Thank you to the following resources for providing a great background on the history of Ligurian pesto, key ingredient notes, and recipe ratios!
How to Make the Perfect Pesto / Maurizio's Pesto (Pasta Grannies): I used Maurizio's recipe as a base to start recipe testing and adjusted it along the way based on my own preferences.
How to Make Perfect Pesto (The Guardian): Inspiration and research
Classic Italian Basil Pesto (The Clever Carrot): Inspiration and research
The Best Pesto (Serious Eats): Inspiration and research
Pasta alla Genovese (Recipes From Italy): Inspiration and research
Making homemade pesto in a traditional manner using a mortar and pestle is a bit labor-intensive, but it's absolute worth it for how fresh and vibrant the resulting sauce is!