# Homemade Pesto

- Link: https://kihulane.eu/arhiiv/186515
- Published: 2026-04-13T23:22:44+03:00
- Author: RSS

This is my favorite way to make homemade pesto, and if you’ve ever tasted pesto 
in Italy you know pesto here in the United States isn’t the same. I received a lesson
in how to make pesto from a real Italian grandmother and now understand the difference.
It’s the details that make this pesto recipe so special.

## Homemade Pesto: The Inspiration

My friend Francesca makes the trip from her small town near the pesto-epicenter 
of Genoa, Italy to San Francisco once or twice a year – this time (lucky for us)
she brought her mom and two-year old son Mattia. Her mom makes a beautiful pesto(
and perfectly light, potato [gnocchi](https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/how-to-make-gnocchi-like-an-italian-grandmother-recipe.html)
to go along with it) and offered to show me (and my friend Jen) how it is done. 
It was a _complete_ game-changer. If you love pesto, you really have to try this.
Her technique results in an incredibly special version.
 ⌊A lot of Chopped Basil
is the First Step to Pesto⌉

## How To Make Pesto

The method can be summed up simply:

 * **Chop your ingredients** by hand, adding basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and 
   pine nuts in stages.
 * **Bring it together** with a bit of olive oil.

Here’s why. Most of the pesto you encounter here in the U.S. is different for a 
few reasons. First off, much of it is made by machine, usually a food processor 
or hand blender. The cook will pulse the ingredients into a paste. This holds true
even if it is homemade. Don’t get me wrong, it usually tastes good, but because 
the ingredients aren’t hand chopped you end up with a texture that is more like 
like a moist, uniform paste with little to no definition between ingredients. You
also might see pesto made with a mortar and pestle. _This pesto is something different._

During my lesson I quickly began to realize chopping all the ingredients by hand
is key because this prevents the ingredients from becoming a completely homogenized
emulsion or paste. When you dress a pasta with a pesto that has been hand chopped
the minuscule flecks of basil will separate from the olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan
cheese in places. You get definition between ingredients, and bright flavors pop
in a way they don’t when they’ve been blended into one.
 ⌊Fresh Basil Leaves before
Being Chopped into Pesto⌉

## Video: How to Make Pesto

## Choosing The Best Basil for Making Pesto

Genovese pesto is famous in part because it is often made with young, small fresh
basil leaves. For us non-Italians it is easy to find Genovese basil in stores and
at farmer’s markets, particularly in the summer. That said, chances are it wasn’t
picked young. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, simply by hand chopping all your
ingredients, you will see a major shift in personality of your pesto.
 ⌊Close Up
Photo of Pesto before Adding Olive Oil⌉

## Hand-Chopped vs Food Processor?

Per the above, this pesto celebrates hand-chopping. Correspondingly, if you’re serious
about making good pesto using the hand-chop technique you’ll need a sharp (preferably
large, single blade) mezzaluna, or a good knife. The sharpness of your blade _absolutely_
matters because you don’t want to bruise or tear your basil. Whatever you use to
chop, make sure it has a sharp blade or the basil will turn dark. Chopping the ingredients
will take twenty minutes or so. Once you chop your ingredients, you’ll form them
into a cake, pictured above. You add olive oil to this cake, and it’s magic. _That
said_, not everyone has the time or patience to hand chop – let’s talk about it.
⌊
Pesto Made with a Food Processor or blender⌉

## How to Make Pesto with a Blender or Food Processor

We don’t always have time to hand chop, I get it! If you want to make pesto using
a blender or food processor here’s how. Pulse the garlic and pine nuts into a chunky
paste. Use the quantities in the recipe below. Add the basil and pulse into a bright
green paste. Pulse in the olive oil, adding more if you want a thinner texture. 
Stir in the grated cheese by hand and season with a bit of salt if needed. Some 
days, are going to be blender pesto days! 

![How to Make Pesto like an Italian Grandmother - Finished Pesto in A Jar](data:
image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==)

## How to Use Pesto

What do you eat pesto with? There are so many _great_ ways to use pesto – some traditional,
many not.

 * **On pizza**: I love a thick slather as the base sauce on a good [pizza](https://www.101cookbooks.com/best-pizza-dough-ever/)(
   this page actually has an extended list of [pizza topping ideas](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pizza-topping-ideas/)).
 * **Pasta**: Good pasta paired with homemade pesto is a classic duo for a reason.
   Same goes for pesto and gnocchi. Start with simple [homemade pasta](https://www.101cookbooks.com/homemade-pasta/),
   and branch out to other shapes over time – [pici](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pici-pasta/)
   and [cavatelli](https://www.101cookbooks.com/cavatelli/) are favorites.
 * **On savory tarts**: A slather of pesto on a tart shell before adding the rest
   of ingredients is a favorite pro-tip. I do it often on this [quiche](https://www.101cookbooks.com/deep-dish-quiche/),
   and on [tomato tarts](https://www.101cookbooks.com/tomato-tart/).
 * **Bruschetta**: If you have a slab of sourdough coming off the grill, a bit of
   pesto, some seasonal roasted veggies, and a dusting of cheese makes an easy meal.
   Something along the lines of these [bruschetta](https://www.101cookbooks.com/simple-bruschetta/).
 * **Instant flavor:** And because pesto lends a bolt of flavor, I love to whisk
   a dollop into [scrambled eggs](https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/herb-cream-cheese-scrambled-eggs-recipe.html),
   [omelettes](https://www.101cookbooks.com/omelette-recipe/), [mashed potatoes,](https://www.101cookbooks.com/perfect-mashed-potatoes/)
   and [baked potatoes](https://www.101cookbooks.com/sea-salt-baked-potatoes/). 
   It’s great swirled into grain bowls or spooned over roasted vegetables as well.

## Pesto FAQ

Generally speaking, store any pesto you might use in the next day or two, refrigerated,
under a thin film of olive oil. You can also freeze it in snack-sized baggies. Thaw
and toss with whatever gnocchi, ravioli, or other favorite pasta you like – and 
a good splash of pasta water!

 * **How Do I Keep Pesto from Turning Brown**? There are a couple ways to keep your
   pesto bright green. Browning comes from oxidizing. One way to prevent this is
   to limit exposure to air. Because of this, I like to keep pesto in my narrowest
   jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top so that no pesto is exposed to air.
   The other option is to blanch your basil leaves briefly, and proceed with your
   pesto-making from there. I almost always opt for option one.
 * **Can Pesto Be Frozen**? Yes! You can absolutely freeze pesto. Any pesto you 
   won’t use within a couple days, transfer to freezer baggies. Freeze flat, and
   break off chunks of pesto to use whenever you need it. When you need larger quantities
   defrost the entire bag either in the refrigerator or on your countertop.
 * **How do I store basil**? here are a number of great ways to keep basil fresh
   until you’re ready to use it. If you think you’ll use it within a day or two,
   keep the basil in a jar of water on your countertop. The way you’d keep a bouquet
   of flowers. If you think it will be a few days beyond that, treat the basil like
   you would salad greens. Give the basil a gentle wash, then wrap the leaves in
   a clean kitchen towel or paper towels, place this in a baggie, and refrigerate
   until ready to use.

## Pesto Variations

Don’t limit yourself to basil pesto. You can absolutely experiment with a blend 
of other herbs as well. You can add anything from parsley to marjoram (a favorite!),
mint to fresh oregano to your basil base. Or leave the basil out entirely! I like
to add citrus zest on occasion, or switch up the type of nuts I use – toasted almonds
and walnuts are favorites.

 * **Arugula pesto**: swap out all the basil for arugula.
 * **Vegan pesto**: use a hard vegan cheese in place of the Parmesan
 * **Herb pesto**: here’s a [five herb pesto](https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/five-herb-pesto-recipe.html)
   I make on occasion. You can chop it by hand or use a food processor.
 * **Broccoli pesto**: This broccoli quinoa recipe uses a [broccoli pesto](https://www.101cookbooks.com/double-broccoli-quinoa/)
   of sorts.

## More Pasta Recipes

 * [Homemade Pasta](https://www.101cookbooks.com/homemade-pasta/)
 * [Pappardelle](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pappardelle/)
 * [Cavatelli](https://www.101cookbooks.com/cavatelli/)
 * [Pici](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pici-pasta/)
 * [Beet Fettuccine](https://www.101cookbooks.com/beet-fettuccine/)
 * [Mushroom Lasagna](https://www.101cookbooks.com/mushroom-lasagna/)
 * [Pasta with Crushed Creamy Walnut Sauce](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pasta-with-creamy-crushed-walnuts/)
 * [Stuffed Shells](https://www.101cookbooks.com/stuffed-shells-recipe/)
 * [Last Minute Red Lasagna](https://www.101cookbooks.com/last-minute-red-lasagna-recipe/)
 * more [pasta recipes](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pasta-recipes/)

## Favorite Pasta Sauces

 * [Creamy Walnut Sauce](https://www.101cookbooks.com/pasta-with-creamy-crushed-walnuts/)
 * [Five Minute Tomato Sauce](https://www.101cookbooks.com/five-minute-tomato-sauce-recipe/)
 * [Mushroom Ragù](https://www.101cookbooks.com/mushroom-ragu/)

## Other Favorite Italian Recipes

 * [Gnocchi](https://www.101cookbooks.com/gnocchi-recipe/)
 * [Bruschetta](https://www.101cookbooks.com/simple-bruschetta/)
 * [Fregola Sarda](https://www.101cookbooks.com/fregola-sarda/)
 * [Pizza Dough](https://www.101cookbooks.com/best-pizza-dough-ever/)

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