Learn the secrets behind one of the most famous Italian sauces in the world, and make a delicious homemade pesto sauce in less than 10 mins.

Pesto is a traditional Italian sauce originating from Genoa, and literally means "crushed", in reference to the original method of preparation, using a pestle and mortar.

If you don't have a mortar at home, you can obviously use a food processor to make pesto, but make sure the blazes are very cold and you only pulse for few seconds, to maintain its beautiful bright green color.

Pesto is a fantastic quick fixing if you're looking for an easy sauce to go with your pasta. If you're a meat lover, it's also a great accompaniment for salmon, steak, carpaccio, to name a few.

Making pesto couldn't be easier, the secret behind this amazing sauce is sourcing well the few ingredients you need to make it. Pick the best and freshest available on the market and you're ready to go.

Start by trying the classic pesto, once you've mastered the basic recipe, get creative and add different nuts, cheeses, and even herbs.

How to Make Italian Basil Pesto

Place pine nuts, garlic and salt into the mortar and crush until reaching a paste consistency.

Gradually add in the basil leaves, crushing with the pestle all the way long.

Pestle until all the leaves turn into a creamy bright green paste.

Fold in the Parmesan cheese and mix until well combined.

Gradually add in the extravirgin olive oil, until reaching a creamy texture. Here we go, pesto is done!

For the best pasta with pesto you will ever taste, mix the pesto sauce with ⅓ cup of pasta cooking water, toss into the pasta and serve.

More Pesto Recipes

Check out these tasty pesto variations to make something different from the classic sauce:

Barley Pea Pesto Salad with Grana Padano and Prosciutto

Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Wild Garlic Pesto {Vegan & GF}

Print SaveSaved!

5 from 1 vote

How To Make Homemade Italian Pesto Sauce

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil, pasta, pesto, pesto pasta

Servings: 4

Author: Andrea - The Petite Cook

Ingredients

• 3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• ½ cup extravirgin olive oil
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ garlic clove finely minced heart removed
• a pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

• Place pine nuts, garlic and salt into the mortar and crush until reaching a paste consistency.
• Gradually add in the basil leaves, crushing with the pestle all the way long.
• Pestle until all the leaves turn into a creamy bright green paste.
• Fold in the Parmesan cheese and mix until well combined.
• Gradually add in the extravirgin olive oil, until reaching a creamy texture.
• Reserve ⅓ cup pasta cooking water and mix with pesto before tossing it with the pasta.
• Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Makes 1 cup of basil pesto

Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.