If you love a great pesto recipe, then check out these three tasty versions. I’ll show you how easy it is to make basil, parsley, and sun-dried tomato pesto. Make a huge batch of each and freeze for summer through winter goodness!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Jump to RecipeGrow your pesto
Not literally, but growing your own herbs are not only easy, but also have a rich flavor that you cannot get from the grocery store. Whether you have a large garden or small container area, add a few herbs for beauty and culinary delight.
Growing herbs
I can only grow basil in the garden. Whenever I have tried to grow it in pots, it dies. That’s a real bummer, because I would love to have fresh basil all year round. However, when I stick it in my garden, it grows like small trees!
I started planting my basil in between my tomato plants last year. From research, I learned that basil and tomatoes are perfect companion garden plants. The tomatoes develop enhanced flavor through the soil when basil is planted nearby, and the basil’s scent prevents certain insects from invading the tomatoes. It’s like a match made in heaven.
I also love to grow fresh flat leaf parsley and use it in all of my homemade dishes. Parsley is a hardy herb and will last long after light frost in the garden. Sometimes I have had parsley reseed itself and come back the next spring.
Like basil, when I plant parsley in the garden, it grows into a small shrub. Parsley is also a great companion plant to tomatoes since it attracts hoverflies, which love to eat aphids.
I simply cannot let any of this goodness go to waste, so I want to share with you my three favorite pestos using these two delicious herbs.
The pesto
To make pesto, the only equipment you need is a food processor and a non-stick pan. I recommend toasting the pine nuts and/or walnuts for these recipes, but it is not necessary.
Basil pesto recipe
Basil pesto is the perfect condiment for just about everything. Top steak, chicken, and fish with fresh pesto, use as a sauce base for a delicious pizza, or slather on bread for the perfect condiment on a sandwich.
The basil pesto recipe requires only four ingredients:
- Fresh Italian basil
- Pine nuts
- Garlic
- Olive oil
Parmesan cheese is also an ingredient to pesto, but for freezing purposes, I leave it out until ready to use. Pine nuts used to be difficult to find and only carried in specialty stores, but now they are readily available in almost all grocery stores. I keep my pine nuts, as with all nuts, in the freezer for freshness and to prevent them from going rancid.
To the food processor, add two cups packed fresh basil leaves, two cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts. Pulse the ingredients until they just come together. Then, with the processor running, drizzle olive oil in until the mixture freely spins and is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. If you are using your pesto fresh, add freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste to the mixture.
Parsley pesto recipe
Like basil, parsley pesto requires only four ingredients (not including the parm):
- Fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
- Walnuts
- Garlic
- Olive oil
The combination of parsley and walnuts give this pesto a distinct flavor unlike the sweet basil pesto we all know and love. Parsley pesto is slightly bitter and has a more earthy in flavor. Think spinach verses arugula. The bold flavor of parsley pesto goes great with whole wheat pastas, steak, chicken and salmon.
To the food processor, add 2 cups fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, two cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts. Pulse until the mixture combines. With the blade running, drizzle olive oil in until the mixture pulls from the sides and spins freely. Again, if using fresh, add freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste.
Sun-dried tomato pesto recipe
The third pesto that I have been making more than ever is a sun-dried tomato pesto. This pesto recipe requires only five ingredients (minus the parm):
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- Garlic
- Fresh Italian basil
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
Sun-dried tomato pesto is great with pasta of choice and fantastic in a cold pasta salad. This pesto is also great as a base sauce on pizza.
To the food processor, add a 14 oz jar of sun-dried tomatoes, including the oil they are packed in for extra flavor, two cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup fresh Italian basil, and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts. Pulse until the mixture combines. With blade running, add olive oil until the mixture runs freely and no longer sticking to the bowl.
Storing and freezing pesto
Pesto keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days if stored in a covered container. Add olive oil to cover the top of the pesto to keep from drying out.
Pesto freezes well in freezer safe containers but I like to freeze mine in some old ice cube trays. Add the pesto to the trays and freeze until solid. Pop them out of the trays and store in a freezer bag. This is perfect for when you just need a little pesto and don’t want to open a whole jar.
The use of these pesto recipes is unlimited. What’s your favorite way to use pesto? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!
Homemade Pesto 3 ways
Equipment
- 1 food processor
- small freezer containers or ice cube trays
Ingredients
Basil Pesto
- 2 cups firmly packed italian sweet basil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- olive oil
Italian Parsley Pesto
- 2 cups firmly packed Italian flat leaf parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- olive oil
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
- 14 oz sun-dried tomatoes w/oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup packed Italian basil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- olive oil
Instructions
To Make Basil, Italian Parsley, OR Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
- Add basil, Italian parsley, OR sun-dried tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor
- Add garlic, nuts, and salt
- Pulse until well combined
- With processor running, drizzle olive oil in until mixture separates from sides of bowl and is processing freely
- Scoop into small freezer containers or ice cube tray and freeze for 4 hours or overnight
- For cube trays, remove once frozen and place into a freezer bag, seal and store in freezer
Leave a Reply