13 Pesto Recipes to Make at Home

True pesto is a sauce made out of fresh basil, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and cheese pounded together into a thick, green paste. (The word “pesto” means “pounded” in Italian.) Pesto originated in the Ligurian region of Italy, which is why classic pesto is also called pesto Genovese, after Genoa, the capital of the northwestern coastal region of Italy. The vibrant sauce is a popular accompaniment to many pasta dishes, and Ligurians often enjoy it on top of vegetable minestrone.

Liguria is famous for its buttery-sweet olive oil and basil, a mildly spicy variety with a clove-like aroma. For hundreds of years, Italian cooks made pesto by crushing these aromatic ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. Contemporary home cooks and chefs use blenders or food processors to make homemade pesto. Creative chefs and culinary rulebreakers have also expanded the bases of pesto beyond the classic short list of ingredients.

Pesto also adds valuable nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium to your dishes.

A good homemade basil pesto recipe will follow these basic guidelines:

1. 1. Use fresh basil. If you’re making classic basil pesto, always use fresh basil rather than dried. Fresh basil leaves contain moisture in the form of both water and natural oils, which contributes to pesto’s creaminess. Alternatively, swap the basil for other fresh herbs or veggies.
2. 2. Gently handle the basil leaves. Over-chopping your basil leaves or residual heat from the blender or food processor can cause the basil to oxidize and turn brown. After blending the rest of the ingredients, add the leaves to the mixture, and be careful not to over-process.
3. 3. Toast the nuts. Many recipes toast pine nuts to add a rich, roasted flavor to pesto. But it’s also perfectly acceptable to leave them raw. Using raw pine nuts saves time vis à vis toasting and cooling and preserves their sweetness.
4. 4. Add a pinch of salt. Adding salt to the basil helps break down the leaves as you pound or blend them.
5. 5. Add citrus to brighten. Citrus is not a traditional pesto ingredient, but a little lemon juice and/or zest can help brighten up the flavors in your pesto.
6. 6. Cover in olive oil before storing. Store your pesto in batches in airtight containers so that it will last as long as possible. For longer-term storage, freeze pesto in ice cube trays and cover with plastic wrap. (Pesto won’t retain its bright green color after defrosting, but it’s a good trick when you have a lot of basil on hand in the summer.)

The classic pesto recipe—using basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pine nuts—is perfect as is, but home cooks and chefs can make endless swaps to breathe new life into this timeless sauce. Pine nuts are the most common nut choice, but swap them for pecans or pistachios for a different flavor profile. Try making pesto with hard cheeses other than Parmesan cheese (like Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino romano, or even manchego). Here are some pesto sauce recipes that are flavorful and easy to make:

1. 1. Artichoke pesto: Replacing the typical basil with artichoke hearts in pesto makes for an extra velvety, lemony sauce perfect for spreading on bread or covering a bowl of pasta. Learn how to make artichoke pesto.
2. 2. Arugula pesto: Using fresh arugula in place of basil leaves adds some light peppery notes that liven the pesto up. Learn how to make arugula pesto.
3. 3. Asparagus pesto: Swap the basil leaves for toothsome cooked asparagus, making for an earthy, hearty pesto. Try this easy recipe for asparagus pesto.
4. 4. Basil pesto: This basil pesto recipe has a harmonious balance of fresh, creamy, salty, and bright flavors that is hard to beat. Try this classic homemade basil pesto recipe.
5. 5. Broccoli pesto: Blanched broccoli forms the base of this mild-tasting and pleasantly chunky pesto. Learn how to make broccoli pesto.
6. 6. Cashew pesto: Make a creamy vegan pesto using cashews in place of Parmesan and pine nuts. This vegan pesto is higher in fat and has a naturally rich flavor and texture.
7. 7. Kale pesto: Using kale instead of basil results in an earthier, heartier sauce than classic pesto. To make kale pesto, blanch the greens before adding them to your blended mixture because it keeps the sauce bright green and tames the bitterness.
8. 8. Mint-basil pesto: Chef Massimo Bottura adds mint to his pesto to brighten the flavor profile. Breadcrumbs replace pine nuts in this recipe, resulting in an almost smoky-tasting sauce. Learn how to make Chef Massimo Bottura’s basil-mint pesto.
9. 9. Miso pesto: Miso is a Japanese condiment made out of fermented soybeans. It’s creamy and full of umami flavor, making it a great plant-based substitution for both the cheese and pine nuts in traditional pesto.
10. 10. Spicy pesto: Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to your classic pesto for an extra kick.
11. 11. Sunflower seed pesto: Adapt basil pesto for a nut-free diet by replacing the pine nuts with sunflower seeds or raw pumpkin seeds.
12. 12. Sun-dried tomato pesto: To make this red pesto, replace basil with sun-dried tomatoes. Red pesto is higher in vitamin C than traditional pesto because of its tomato content.
13. 13. Sweet pesto: Try adding agave syrup, maple syrup, or dates to your pesto for a sticky sweetness. Sweet pesto is delicious as a drizzle on pizzas or roasted vegetables such as zucchini or carrots.

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