Choose your greens. Choose your nuts. This mix and match homemade pesto recipe is delicious no matter how you make it.
homemade pesto recipe
One of my all-time favorites: Homemade pesto recipe. I know this is a sweets blog, but let’s talk about pesto for a bit. Pesto. Glorious pesto.
I’ve been making pesto for about twenty years now. If I recall, my first recipe came from the Silver Palate cookbook.
As the years have passed, I’ve thrown in all kinds of stuff, usually without measuring, until I got my general recipe down. But why “mix and match”? Because I never make it exactly the same way twice.
what greens and nuts can be used in pesto?
With this recipe, use what you have in your fridge, garden or cupboard.
The recipe is forgiving, so you can add more or less of the ingredients you like. Thanks to the olive oil and Parmesan cheese, it’ll taste freaking fantastic no matter what you do.
Choose your greens and/or herbs (basil, sure if you want to be all traditional, oregano, kale, spinach, arugula) and choose your nuts (pine nuts are the classic, but you can also use walnuts or even almonds and pistachios). Or, use a combo of one or more of each.
I’ve made spinach and basil pesto with pine nuts. Kale pesto with almonds. Oregano and basil pesto with walnuts. Run out of walnuts? Throw in some pistachios.
This pesto shown below is kale walnut pesto.
what else can I make with pesto besides pasta?
You can use this recipe to make 2-ingredient pesto bread or this pesto mozzarella pull-apart bread.
How do you serve pasta with pesto?
While the pasta is boiling, scoop out some of the water (1/4 cup to whatever consistency you like) and stir it into the prepared pesto.
Spoon a big dollop of pesto into a bowl. Drain the pasta when it’s ready and immediately transfer it into the bowl on top of the pesto.
Mix it all around well and add more pesto as desired. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.
video recipe
mix and match homemade pesto recipe
you will need:*
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 to 3 cups packed greens (kale, spinach, basil, oregano, arugula, mint, parsley, cilantro, etc.)
1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
juice from 1/2 a lemon (optional)
what to do:
In a food processor, process the garlic. Add the greens and process. Add the nuts and process. While processing, pour in the olive oil.
Add additional olive oil OR water from the boiling pasta to desired consistency of pesto.
Add in the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in lemon juice.
how long does pesto last?
Keep the extra pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Note the color may brown a bit.
mix and match pesto recipe
The BEST homemade pesto recipe! Mix and match your greens and herbs and nuts to personalize your own combination. Serve with pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 to 3 cups packed greens (kale, spinach, basil, oregano, arugula, mint, parsley, cilantro, etc.)
- 1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc.)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt
- pepper
- juice from 1/2 a lemon (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor, process the garlic. Add the greens and process.
- Add the nuts and process.
- While processing, pour in the olive oil.
- Add in the Parmesan cheese and briefly process.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in lemon juice.
- Add additional olive oil OR water from the boiling pasta to desired consistency of pesto.
- Serve with hot pasta and sprinkle with red pepper flakes (optional) and additional Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 238Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 316mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 8gSugar: 6gProtein: 9g
(This post was originally published in February 2016 and updated in December 2019.)
Sara says
Can this be frozen?
meaghanmountford says
Hi Sara, Yes! A few notes: You should prooooobably leave out the Parmesan when freezing, although I don’t bother and freeze with the Parmesan because I’m a little lazy. Freezing pesto works well in ice cube trays, for easy portioning. I let it thaw in the fridge and when mixing it with pasta, while the pasta is cooking, stir some of the boiling pasta water into the pesto to get it warmed and the right consistency. Lastly, the vibrant green color may be faded some in the freezer, but not the taste. 🙂
Judy says
I made this with a mis of cilantro and parsley and almonds. it came together quickly and the taste is very good. Next time I think toasting the almonds might be interesting.
Thanks you for this versatile recipe.
meaghanmountford says
Love it! The cilantro, parsley, almond combo is awesome. I agree.. toasting the almonds would give it a different flavor worth exploring. Thank you so much Judy!!
Deborah Levesque says
I made the pesto with baby spinach garlic and toasted pine nuts and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
meaghanmountford says
Oh yay, so glad it worked!! Spinach and pine nuts is one of my favorite combinations. And I feel sort of healthy, too, with all the spinach. 🙂
Cat Pflueger says
About how long does this last in the refrigerator?
meaghanmountford says
Cat, it will last a few days, but the bright green will fade very quickly, sometimes within hours!
Karen says
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Can you use the canning process for this?
Janna says
I love making this with 2/3 basil, 1/3 mint and pistachios. I freeze it in an ice cube tray and then pop out the cubes and store in a freezer container. When I need it, I grab 1-3 cubes right out of the freezer and pop them into pastas, soups & on roasted veggies! So bright and fresh. Love it!
meaghanmountford says
Love this idea Janna! Such a great way to have fresh herbs last into the fall, too!