Name: Basil Pesto
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 1/2 cup
Ingredients: 1 cup basil (loosely packed, stems removed); 3 tablespoons pine nuts; ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated); 1 clove garlic; 1 tablespoon olive oil

This basil pesto is a must for my caprese salad recipe and also makes a great pizza topping.

Basil Pesto
5 from 1 vote

Course: Salads, Snacks & Appetizers

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: spring vegetable side

Dietary Restriction: Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Category: Freezer Friendly

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings (Adjust to suit): 1 1/2 cup

Calories: 443 kcal

This basil pesto is a must for my caprese salad recipe and also makes a great pizza topping.

Ingredients

1 cup basil, loosely packed, stems removed
3 tablespoons pine nuts
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small food processor or mini chopper. Process until all ingredients are blended together. Leftover pesto can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week. In addition to caprese salad, pesto can also be used as a pasta sauce or topping for crackers (with or without a slice of cheese).

Recipe Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.

Nutrition Facts

Basil Pesto

Amount Per Serving

Calories 443 Calories from Fat 378

% Daily Value*

Fat 42g65%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 22mg7%

Sodium 385mg17%

Potassium 250mg7%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 15g30%

Vitamin A 1480IU30%

Vitamin C 5.3mg6%

Calcium 320mg32%

Iron 2.6mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Comments

Carolyn
August 1, 2015 at 10:12 am

Hello, Just a note for those of you who can’t eat dairy. Instead of parmesan cheese use nutritional yeast. :-)
Felishia Hoffecker
July 5, 2015 at 5:24 pm
What could you substitute in place of the pine nuts?
- Kristi
  September 25, 2017 at 9:16 pm
  I use sunflower seeds for a nut free pesto
- Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
  July 7, 2015 at 12:54 pm
  Walnuts work well.
kristina
June 9, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Does pesto freeze well? Thx.
- Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
  June 11, 2015 at 12:46 pm
  Hi. I freeze pesto often during the summer. The texture may change a little but it works well.

Basil Pesto