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Homemade Pesto Sauce

Oct 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment

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Homemade pesto sauce in a jar with a spoon scooping some out

Easy, beautiful, bright homemade pesto sauce with lots of fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and toasted nuts. What’s not to love about pesto?

A 5 minute, super easy blender recipe for the best flavor packed vibrant homemade pesto sauce. This makes plenty, so I included freezer instructions too! So much flavor.

What is pesto?

Pesto sauce is an uncooked Italian sauce usually made with fresh basil, nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. Other variations exist, like spinach pesto, but we are sticking to a classic here with just a few twists.

Ingredients for homemade pesto sauce in a blender

Ingredient breakdown:

Fresh basil

Olive Oil- good quality stuff here! You’ll use a lot and the flavor is very evident so go for the fancy stuff.

Toasted nuts: I used a mix of pine nuts and slivered almonds, but you can use either or. I think toasting the nuts gives SO much more flavor, and it just takes an extra couple minutes. Find instructions on toasting pine nuts here:

Garlic cloves- roughly chopped. I use quite a bit, because I’m a garlic addict, but you could halve the amount if you prefer, taste, then decide whether to add more.

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Lemon juice and zest- the zest gives such a beautiful brightness to the flavor

Pinch of red chili flakes- because I can’t resist a tiny bit of heat (still totally kid friendly, and you can omit this)

Salt

How do I make homemade pesto sauce?

It couldn’t be easier. You add all the ingredients except the olive oil into the bowl of food processor. Mix mix mix until the basil is chopped finely and everything has combined. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the mixer is running so that it properly combines and emulsifies. Stop one you’ve gotten a paste that still has some chunky bits in it.

Homemade pesto sauce blended in the bowl of a food processor

Storing leftover pesto:

I make a big batch (this will give you one full jar of pesto), and since pesto has so much flavor, you won’t need to use a lot in whatever recipe you’ll go on to use this for. Good news, pesto is one of the best things you could have in your fridge or freezer! It stores very well and defrosts beautifully.

To store in the fridge: cover the top of the pesto jar with a little olive oil to prevent the basil from browning. Store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

To store in the freezer: Using a mini muffin tray or an ice cube tray, fill the cavities with pesto sauce. Pop in the freezer until pesto has frozen into little pesto cubes, then remove from tray and place in a freezer safe bag. This way, you have the perfect individual sized pesto cubes you can use whenever you need (they’ll take just 30 min- 1 hour to thaw) and you won’t have to defrost a whole jar at a time.

Pesto sauce portioned into a freezer safe container

What to use pesto with?

Pasta of course!

Scramble a little into your eggs

For the perfect sandwich spread (Turkey, pesto, and provolone trust for the win)

To liven up your grilled chicken or salmon

To mix into dips or salad dressings

On top of a pizza instead of or in addition to pizza sauce

To bake into homemade bread

Smear some on bruschetta

Homemade pesto sauce in a jar with a spoon scooping some out

Homemade Pesto Sauce

Easy, beautiful, bright homemade pesto sauce with lots of fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and toasted nuts.
Print Pin
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pesto, sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 172kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 packed cups fresh basil leaves 100 g
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • the zest of one small lemon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts, cooled
  • pinch red chili flakes
  • 1 cup good quality olive oil

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients from the basil leaves through to the red chili flakes (everything except the olive oil).
  • Blend to combine until basil is chopped up. Then, drizzle in the olive oil while blending until all the olive oil is added and a paste with some texture forms. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
  • Store in a tightly covered jar covered with a thin layer of olive oil in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months (instructions in the post)

Notes

Recipe loosely adapted from Cookie and Kate
Tried this recipe?Mention @everylittlecrumb or tag #everylittlecrumb!

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal

If you liked this recipe, you might like:

Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Macarona Billaban

Chicken Piccatta Pasta

Did you make this? Tag @everylittlecrumb or hashtag #everylittlecrumb and I’ll share your images!

Healthy, Recipes, Sauces pesto, sauce

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Farah Abu Maizar | Food Lover
This, to me, is the sambosa that best embodies Bah This, to me, is the sambosa that best embodies Bahrain- the first- actually the only-place I have these cheesy corn sambosa ❤️. No fancy cheese goes in this, it’s literally the stuff out of a can and take SO melty and cheesy and good. I mix in a little mashed potatoes and it just makes these 💯 times better, creamy and delicious. Posting the full steps on IGTV, it’s so easy you prob won’t need them! Recipe below and tell me- what’s your go to sambosa cheese?

Ingredients
2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 8 oz total, 235 g
1/2 cup corn kernels, from a can, drained
12 oz American cheese, like Velveeta or Kraft, grated 340 g (2 170g cans of Kraft processed cheese)
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1/2 pack samosa wrappers each pack is 500 g

Instructions:
-Cover potato cubes with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are completely cooked through. Drain, and mash.

-Let potatoes cool slightly then combine mashed potatoes with the grated cheese, drained corn, salt and pepper. Mix well until the mixture is evenly combined. Taste for and adjust seasoning.

-Fill each samosa wrapper with a tbsp of mixture on the bottom corner, then fold the corner of the samosa up and over the filling to the other side, to make a triangle. Keep folding this triangle over all the way up the top (check the video at the bottom of this recipe card to see how). Mix together the flour and water to form a thick paste, and seal the ends of the samosa to prevent them from opening up while frying.

-Place vegetable oil in a skillet, about 2 inches deep and heat on medium high heat. Once hot enough, add the sambosa and fry for around 2 minutes a side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the excess oil, then enjoy warm.

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#harira #soup #ramadanrecipes #ramadan2021 #ramadan #ramadankareem #vegetablesoup #soupseason #soupsofinstagram #delishkitchen #friedfood #aprilisforarabfood #f52grams #foodfluffer #foodflatlay #foodphotography #foodphotographer #foodstylist #thefeedfeed #middleeasternfood #vegetarian #tasty #tastingtable #tastemade #samosa #sambosa
This is one of my top 5 recipes from this Ramadan’s recipe prep. One of my features does the @tamimimarkets recipe catalogue! Click the link in their bio to access this gorgeous (free!) catalogue.

This harira soup is unbelievable. Hearty and delicious and beautifully spiced- I’ve never been obsessed with harira soup until this one. It’s a simple one because it’s meat free, so it’s perfect to start your iftar with but also hearty enough to totally serve as a meal alongside some sambosas. Recipe below, and IGTV video coming in a bit!

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
pinch red chili flakes
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped coriander(cilantro)
1 can tomato sauce 15 oz (430g)
7 cups vegetable stock or 2 stock cubes dissolved in 7 cups water
1 can drained chickpeas 15 oz (400 g)
1 cup green lentils
1/2 cup vermicelli noodles 50 g
2 lemons, juiced 1/4 cup juice
2 tbsp flour, dissolved in 1/4 cup water* use cornstarch if gluten free

Instructions:
-Start by adding the lentils to a bowl of water and soaking as you prepare the rest of the ingredients, this helps them cook through faster.
-Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and add the onions, celery and carrots. Saute for 6-8 minutes, until onions soften and turn golden brown.
-Add all the spices, the chopped parsley and chopped coriander, the tomato sauce, and the vegetable stock. Bring the pot to a boil, then add the drained chickpeas and drained lentils. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until chickpeas and lentils are tender.
-Add the vermicelli, and let it boil for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add the lemon juice, and the flour water mixture. Let it simmer another minute or until it thickens, then taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
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Never ever liked vimto until I had it like this 🍧. Vimto smoothies means that the sweetness of vimto is tempered by that cold crunchy shaved ice. Could not stop eating/drinking these vimto slushees! So easy, you just need water, ice, vimto and a high speed blender- my @ninjakitchenme did so well breaking down huge ice chunks👏🏼. Save this for a little twist on your classic iftar drink🥳

Ingredients:
-3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup vimto 
- 2 cups ice 

Method:
Add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed, and blend on frozen drink mode until slushy like consistency. Add more ice or water if you need to, and enjoy immediately with a spoon/straw. Yum!
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#ramadan #ramadan2021 #ramadanrecipes #iceddrinks #slush #slushy #slushii #berries #syrup #cordial #drinkphotography #damnthatsdelish #foodfluffer #pour #dripshot #foodphotography #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylist #foodstyling #thefeedfeed #vimto #foodtographyschool #foodtography #beautifulcuisines
A biscuit base topped with a super easy smooth, cr A biscuit base topped with a super easy smooth, creamy pistachio cheesecake and the crowning touch,  @mayadelices ‘s luscious milk chocolate melted and poured over the top. I mean- heavenly! Recipe below, adapted from @savoryandsweetfood ,, IGTV will be uploaded today. I am absolutely loving @mayadelices couverture, great quality baking chocolate thats so fun experimenting with! They have sugar free and vegan options too, and best of all it’s easily available in their shop in Bahrain 🍫👏🏼

Ingredients:

For the crust:
2 cups digestive biscuit crumbs (250 g)
1/2 cup butter melted, 115g
Pinch cinnamon powder

For the pistachio cheesecake filling:

1 cup pistachio powder (140g)
12 Kiri squares or cream cheese (215g)
250 ml thick cream
1/2 of a 400 g tin of sweetened condensed milk, more if you like it sweeter

To top:
1 cup Maya milk chocolate (160g)
pistachios to garnish

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper with extra paper hanging over the sides so you can easily lift out the bars.

2. Mix digestive crumbs with melted butter and cinnamon. Press this firmly into the base of the pan. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

3. In a food processor, add the pistachio powder, kiri cheese cubes, thick cream, and condensed milk. Blend until well combined and smooth. Pour this mixture into the crust base and bake for 15-20 minutes until set but center is still a little jiggly. Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour then refrigerate for several hours.

4. Melt the milk chocolate gently in the microwave, in 10 second bursts, stirring after each increment. Once smooth and melted, spread over the top of the cheesecake, and refrigerate until set. Enjoy!
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#ramadan #ramadan2021 #ramadanrecipes #cheesecakebars #cheesecakebites #chocolateporn #pistachio #chocolatelover #chocolaterecipes #cheesecakelovers #cheesecakelove #damnthatsdelish #foodfluffer #pour #chocolatedrip #dripshot #foodphotography #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstylist #foodstyling #thefeedfeed #thebakefeed #foodtographyschool #foodtography #beautifulcuisines
Want a Ramadan dessert that takes minutes to make Want a Ramadan dessert that takes minutes to make and tastes amazing? Yeah we all do - I got you! Try this coffee biscuit cake (barely adapted from the wonderful @littlesunnykitchen). Layers of coffee soaked biscuits and a super easy fluffy cream 👌🏼. I used my new @braun_bahrain handheld electric whisk, one of the attachments in the minipimer set-It whips the cream so fast, much faster than my stand mixer and it’s so convenient to be able to use any bowl to prep the cream in. I’ve partnered with @digitrolley to bring you lots of good recipes with their range of kitchen appliances, so keep following along! Recipe below , and IGTV video coming today in my Ramadan series!

Ingredients
2 tbsp nescafe powder dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1 cup heavy whipping cream 250ml
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
splash vanilla extract, optional
1 creme caramel sachet, powder only 49g
1 pack tea biscuits or graham crackers 7 oz or 200 g
2 tbsp cocoa powder for topping

Instructions:
-Add the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and creme caramel powder to a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Set this cream mixture aside.
-Dip the tea biscuits into the coffee briefly until they soak up the coffee but before they start to break apart. -Layer in a 7×11 or 9×9 inch clear pyrex dish, then top with half the cream mixture.
-Repeat another layer of coffee soaked biscuits on top of the heavy cream, followed by the remaining half of the cream. Sift the cocoa powder on to the top, then refrigerate for several hours until set. This is even better the next day!

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#nescafe #nescafegold #coffeecake #biscuit #biscuitcake #nobake #nobakedessert #nobakecake #tiramisu #damnthatsdelish #tastingtable #beautifulcuisines #foodphotography #foodphotographyandstyling #tastyfood #easydessert #ramadankareem #ramadan2021 #ramadanrecipes #cream
Ramadan Kareem! And the first recipe is for these Ramadan Kareem! And the first recipe is for these unbelievable (and easy!) chicken musakhan sambosa was developed for @tamimimarkets Ramadan catalogue. One of the coolest projects I’ve ever worked on can’t wait to tell you more about it! In the meantime, enjoy this teaser recipe and check IGTV for full video steps coming up. 

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and finely shredded about 1 heaped cup of shredded chicken See notes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions cut in half, then thinly sliced into wedges
1/4 cup toasted almond slivers or pine nuts
3 tbsp sumac
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
To assemble:
1 pack sambosa wrappers 500 g
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp water
For frying:
vegetable oil, about 1/4 cup

Instructions:
-In a deep skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil until it heats up. Add the onions, and cook, stirring frequently until soft and starting to caramelize, 8-10 minutes.

-Add the shredded chicken, the toasted nuts, and all the spices. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat. Let mixture cool slightly 5 minutes or so.

-Fill each sambosa wrapper with a tbsp of mixture on the bottom corner, then fold the corner of the sambosa up and over the filling to the other side, to make a triangle. Keep folding this triangle over all the way up the top 

-Mix together the flour and water to form a thick paste, and seal the ends of the sambosa to prevent them from opening up while frying.

-Place vegetable oil in a skillet, about 2 inches deep and heat on medium high heat. Once hot enough, add the sambosa and fry for around 2 minutes a side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the excess oil, then enjoy warm, optionally with yogurt to dip in.
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#chickensamosa #musakhan #ramadankareem #ramadan2021 #ramadanrecipes #samosa #friedfood #palestinianfood #middleeasternfood #beautifulcuisines #damnthatsdelish #f52community #thefeedfeed #foodgawker #f52grams #buzzfeedfood #tastingtable #tastemade #chickenrecipes #sumac #caramelizedonions #foodblogfeed #foodphotography #foodphotographyandstyling #foodstyling
Busy busy birthday weekend with lots of baking inv Busy busy birthday weekend with lots of baking involved. If you are like me and wish you could take a little break from the kitchen check out @trysecco . Delicious food, big portions, reasonable prices this was a hit for me! Opening soon in Khobar too 🥳. Definitely try the truffle pasta, the pepperoni spicy honey pizza and the homey lasagna. Don’t miss the chocolate milk cake for dessert! Check my reels for all the drool worthy videos, swipe for more picture and save this for next time you want to dine out!
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#pizza #pizzalover #italianfood #tablescape #tablescapestyling #foodphotography #foodstagram #foodstyling #beautifulcuisines #dametravelerfoodie #risottolover #risottoballs #pepperonipizza #lobsterpizza #calamari #eatingout #restaurantfood
You know the seafood buckets that have soared in p You know the seafood buckets that have soared in popularity in recent years? That are super yummy but you end up with like four shrimp pieces each? Well I’ve solved the problem by making my own shrimp boil at home with soooo much shrimp for everyone. It’s actually insanely easy to make with my new @ninjakitchenme foodi max, a beast of a machine that pressure cooks, air fries, steams, slow cooks  and more. I can’t wait to experiment a looot with this! Send this to someone who loves a good shrimp bucket 😍🦐

Ingredients
* 1 tbsp butter 
* 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 
* 1 onion, sliced 
* 2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 tsp old bay seasoning or seafood spices or mixed spices 
* 1/4 tsp paprika 
* 1 lemon, juiced
* 1 tsp salt
* 4-5 baby potatoes
* 3-4 ears corn on the cob, I used frozen 
* 500g shrimp or prawns with shells on

Instructions
* Put pressure cooker on saute, then add butter so it melts. Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.

* Add spices and paprika and salt to the melted butter mixture, then add salt. Mix.

* Pour in broth and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Turn saute off.

* Place the potatoes in the pot into the broth, then layer the corn pieces on to of those.

* Close the lid and set to pressure cook high for 4 minutes, then do a quick release.

* Put shrimp into the pot on top of other ingredients. Close the lid and set to pressure cook high for 1 minute followed by a quick release.

* Pour mixture onto a baking tray, including some broth and serve with melted butter and sticky rice. YUM!
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