Once you’ve made your own homemade basil pesto, you’ll never go back. Less than 10 minutes to make and absolutely delicious – this recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again. Pesto is something I always have in my fridge because it just adds so much to any dish. Dollop some on top of a salad, toss with pasta, roasted veggies, grilled chicken or just spread on toast and you’re taking something ordinary to a whole other level of flavour!

In New Zealand, there are lots of options for great quality fresh pesto you can pick up in the store, but it’s really not the same in the UK. There are countless jarred versions which to be honest, I don’t think are worth it. They always just taste a bit off and once you make it yourself, you’ll never go back. Homemade pesto is just on a WHOLE other level and aside from the pine nuts which do tend to be expensive, the ingredients are ones you’ll likely have in your fridge or are easy to pick up from the store.

On pine nuts

Unfortunately these little nutty beauties are on the pricey side. You can generally find them cheaper in local grocers or bulk stores, but they are expensive in the supermarket. As an alternative, you can use cashews, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds to get that lovely nutty flavour and crunch you’re after here.

What you’ll need to make this recipe

The star elements

• Basil. You can’t make basil pesto without this glorious guy! You’ll need 2 packed cups of leaves, and really make sure you do pack them in there. Try and remove any longer, tougher stems but don’t worry too much about trimming them.
• Olive oil. You want a good quality, extra virgin olive oil here because you can really taste it.
• Pine nuts. For a classic basil pesto these lovely guys are a must – but they are pretty expensive so you can substitute with cashews, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. Whatever you do, make sure you toast the nuts or seeds first! Get them in a dry pan for a couple of minutes, tossing frequently until they are smelling toasty and have lovely golden spots on both sides.
• Parmesan cheese. I’m using freshly grated and I do think it makes a difference, pre-grated has an anti-caking agent coating and you won’t get as smooth a pesto in the end, but it will still taste delicious.

Essential equipment –

I use a food processor in this recipe as I find it does a quicker and better job than my blender. You could use a blender, you may just need to add more olive oil to loosen things up and get the blades going. You could also do it the traditional way in a pestle and mortar!

How to make the pesto

Start by getting your basil, parmesan, lemon juice, toasted pine nuts, garlic and salt into your food processor. Blitz for a minute, until everything is broken up and a chunky paste is forming. Scrape down the sides.

Next, you’re going to slowly pour in the olive oil. Doing this slowly will allow the pesto to emulsify and form a cohesive sauce, rather than the oil separating.

And you’re done! Use a rubber spatula to scrape out every last morsel of the pesto and store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 10 days. I am truly so obsessed with this pesto, it’s creamy, zingy, herby deliciousness and makes anything you put it with sing.

My storage tip

The basil in the pesto will start to discolour when it comes into contact with the air, so there are a couple of little tricks you can do to keep that glorious green colour. Either pour a layer of olive oil over the top of the pesto OR use a piece of cling film to cover the pesto, making sure it’s touching the top and covering it completely to make a barrier from the air! I like to do this, then cover again with the lid of whatever container I’m storing it in.

Got a pesto question?

Here’s how you can use your pesto

Pesto is such a staple in my kitchen and you can use it in so many ways! These are a couple of my favourite recipes that use this pesto:

• Easy pesto orzo pasta salad
• Pesto potatoes with crispy prosciutto and burrata

If you make this recipe, make sure to leave me a comment below! I love hearing how you get on with my creations.

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