Fresh Basil Pesto
To make basil pesto, blitz fresh basil leaves with toasted pine nuts (or walnuts), garlic, grated Parmesan, and olive oil until you have a coarse, bright green sauce, then season with salt and a squeeze of lemon. Blanching the basil briefly or adding lemon keeps the colour vivid instead of dull. Use it on pasta, sandwiches, eggs, or roasted vegetables, and freeze extra in ice-cube trays to capture the summer glut.
When the basil is threatening to bolt and you have more than you know what to do with, pesto is the answer. A few minutes in the food processor turns a garden glut into a vivid green sauce that tastes like summer and freezes into little cubes of it for the depths of winter. It’s endlessly useful — pasta, sandwiches, eggs, roasted vegetables, a swirl into soup.
Keep it green
Basil browns as it oxidizes, so for the brightest colour, either blanch the leaves for a few seconds and shock them in ice water before blitzing, or add a squeeze of lemon. Neither is essential — browning is only cosmetic — but both keep it looking as fresh as it tastes.
Any toasted nut works
Pine nuts are classic but pricey; toasted walnuts are the go-to Canadian swap, and almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds (nut-free) all make excellent pesto. Toasting whatever you use deepens the flavour. Good olive oil, real Parmesan, and fresh garlic matter more than the nut.
Freeze the glut
The real trick with a basil harvest: freeze pesto in ice-cube trays, then bag the cubes. A cube dropped into pasta or soup delivers summer all year.
Make it yours
- Different herbs: blend in parsley, arugula, or spinach to stretch the basil.
- Vegan: skip the cheese and add a spoonful of nutritional yeast and extra salt.
- Brighter: more lemon and a pinch of chili.
- Uses: toss with pasta, spread on sandwiches, dollop on tomatoes, stir into soup.
Taste and adjust the salt and lemon, then use it generously. Homemade pesto is one of summer’s great pleasures — and the smell of it alone is worth the handful of basil.
At a glance
Fresh Basil Pesto
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off
Instructions
- Toast the nuts in a dry pan until fragrant; cool.
- Blitz the basil, nuts, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor to a coarse paste.
- With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until combined.
- Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon. Add a splash more oil to loosen if needed.
- Use right away, or store with a film of oil on top; freeze extra in ice-cube trays.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep pesto bright green instead of turning brown?
Basil darkens when it oxidizes. Two tricks keep it vivid: blanch the leaves for a few seconds in boiling water then shock them in ice water before blitzing, and/or add a squeeze of lemon juice. Covering the surface with a thin film of olive oil in the jar also slows browning. A little browning is only cosmetic and still tastes fine, but these steps keep it looking fresh.
Can I use nuts other than pine nuts?
Absolutely — pine nuts are traditional but expensive. Walnuts are the most common Canadian substitute and work beautifully; almonds, cashews, or even sunflower seeds (for a nut-free version) all make lovely pesto. Toast whatever you use for deeper flavour. The garlic, basil, cheese, and good olive oil matter more than which nut you choose.
How do I store and freeze pesto?
Pesto keeps in the fridge for about a week with a film of oil on top to seal out air. To capture a summer glut, freeze it: spoon into ice-cube trays, freeze solid, then bag the cubes for easy single portions all winter. For the freezer, some cooks leave out the cheese and stir it in fresh after thawing, but freezing it complete works fine too.