Once you try homemade pesto sauce, there's no going back to store-bought. You'll love the bright, fresh, zesty flavors in this fresh basil pesto sauce.
Combine the pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the garlic and nuts are broken up into small pieces.
Add the basil and parmesan and pulse until the basil is broken up into small pieces as well.
With the food processor on low, slowly add the olive oil. Continue to pulse until the pesto is smooth and lump-free. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Set aside until ready to use or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Pine nuts are the base of our pesto . If you can’t find toasted pine nuts in the grocery store, you can toast raw nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or just until fragrant.
Garlic adds a delicious flavor to the pesto. Don’t skip it!
Lemon adds bright freshness to the pesto. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is key– I don’t recommend using bottled juice here.
Basil is another base of our pesto– make sure it’s fresh, not wilted or brown.
Parmesan adds a salty nuttiness to the pesto.
Olive oil helps thin the pesto– I recommend a robust, good-quality olive oil that can stand up to the flavor of the basil and parmesan.