Don't miss a recipe! Subscribe Today Arrow right

The Little Kitchen

Quick and easy recipes you can make for your family and friends. Published by Julie Tran Deily

How to Make Pesto (Video)

Julie Deily · 32 Comments

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Pesto from thelittlekitchen.net

Can we have a heart to heart now? It's the end of August which also means we're onto Labor Day weekend (here in the US). Where has the time gone? I'm not ready for the end of summer yet. See? I'm still making pesto with the basil from my kinda sorta pathetic herb garden. I'm actually going to need to cut my plant back more and make even more pesto. Into the freezer it will go!

Basil Plant from thelittlekitchen.net

I keep seeing posts on twitter and facebook about pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. I'm not ready yet. I'm still into pesto and tomatoes. And I even have a couple of more pesto-related recipes to share with you next week. This Florida girl is holding onto summer as long as she can.

Have you ever made pesto before? Then, you know how easy it is. If you haven't, it's soooo easy, here's a video too! I used my KitchenAid 12-Cup food processor but I even tried it with my blender and it worked great!

Do you remember your first time eating pesto? Growing up, I'm first generation American, we had a lot of Vietnamese food at home so I don't remember having pesto pasta until I graduated high school. I received a scholarship from a really nice family who tragically lost their son his sophomore year of college in a drunk driving incident. The other car's driver was driving drunk and unfortunately Chad Bogan lost his life. The scholarship was named in his honor and I was honored to receive it. Chad's parents took me out to dinner because they wanted to meet me in person and to present me with the check for the scholarship. They took me to a really nice restaurant and I ordered pesto pasta. It was amazing and that started my love for pesto. It's amazing how some food memories are tied so deeply with a life moment, accomplishment or a memory…I wonder if that's the same for you? I remember that meal so well and the kindness and thoughtfulness that Chad's parents showed me. Their generosity in the midst of tragedy has stayed with me all of these years.

I only started to make my own pesto at home a couple of years ago and it's incredibly easy as long as you have plenty of fresh basil. Serve it over your favorite pasta (or even try homemade pasta) or make my pesto caprese fried wontons. Look out for more recipes coming at you soon made with pesto!

How to Make Pesto from thelittlekitchen.net

I used walnuts in my recipe because A. walnuts are less expensive than pine nuts and B. because we found out Curtis is allergic to pine nuts a few years ago.

Recipes you can try with pesto sauce!
Pesto Caprese Fried Wontons
Pesto Guacamole
Whole Wheat Rotini with Meyer Lemon and Arugula Pesto
Pesto Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes
Pesto Meatballs
Sundried Tomato Polenta Bites

Heart Recipe
How to Make Pesto from thelittlekitchen.net
Print Pin

Basil Pesto with Walnuts Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 2 1/4 cups approx.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups packed basil leaves
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 2/3 cups olive oil

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor. If you're using a blender, add the olive oil and then the other ingredients.
  • While hitting the pulse button, stream in the olive oil until completely processed. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Add a layer of olive oil on top to prevent the pesto from browning.
  • Add to your favorite pasta and serve with parmesan cheese.
How to Make Pesto from thelittlekitchen.net
Did you make my Basil Pesto with Walnuts Recipe?Did you take a photo of it? Did you know you can upload your photo along with your rating and comments below? I’d love for you to share with me & others because you’re awesome. And because I’d love to see how it came out for you! If you share on social, be sure to use the hashtag #thelittlekitchenrecipes and tag me @TheLittleKitchn because I don’t want to miss it! Yay!!
Camera Upload a Photo Instagram Tag on Insta Star Leave a Rating

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

Share this post!

Julie of The Little Kitchen

Hi, I'm Julie!

Welcome to The Little Kitchen! I'm Julie and I love to cook, bake, eat and share (not necessarily in that order). I share easy recipes, stories about my family (which includes my pets) and my travels. And I actually do have a little kitchen.

About · Portfolio · FAQ · Contact

Don't miss another recipe!

Subscribe today to start getting my latest recipes in your inbox.

    Unsubscribe any time. Privacy Policy

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Rate & Comment

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image. Drop file here

    1. Beth Bilous says

      I love homemade pesto, and i have a ton of fresh basil in my herb garden. Love the little jar, it looks like a wech jar, where can i get one like this please?

      Reply

    11. Robin Wilson says

      We love pesto but have never made it at home and let’s face it, the pesto in a jar is okay in a pinch, but just doesn’t taste the same as fresh. Will try this recipe, love the look and consistency of yours!

      Reply

    12. Tara @ Unsophisticook says

      I’m not ready for fall either, but I couldn’t pass up getting a PSL last week when I realized they were available! I’ve never been very successful at growing my own basil — wish I could figure it out because I love pesto.

      Reply

    13. Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says

      I just posted today about how I’m not ready for fall recipes yet–I’m just not! I couldn’t believe it when I started seeing pumpkin recipes last week, LOL. Making homemade pesto is a great way to end the summer!

      Reply

    19. Tieghan says

      This pesto is gorgeous!! That color is spot on and this video is so well done! As always, I am incredibly impressed. You are one multi talented cook!

      Reply

    22. Kimberli says

      This is a nice tutorial! I always add a couple things to mine — a few cloves of fresh garlic and a fistful of fresh spinach to make it go further & have a creamier texture. Some folks drizzle a few tablespoons of melted butter in at the very end, which is a nice touch, too. We’ve experimented with using other herbs such as Italian parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, etc to our pestos and its always a hit. We like to spread some on flattened bread dough and sprinkle with a little cheese for a fun & easy foccacia. Thanks for sharing this! I sell pounds of basil each week, but only have a little pesto in the freezer — reminded me I had best get some made!

      Reply

    25. Joanne - Inspired Taste says

      What a lovely post, Julie. How perfect that you were the one to receive that scholarship. It’s so sad that Chad’s parents lost their son, but I know they would be so proud to see you today with your success, as well as the kindness and generosity you share with all of us 🙂

      Love the pesto, too!

      Reply

    Reader Favorites

    As Seen In

    Better Homes and Gardens, The Pioneer Woman, Taste of Home, Country Living, Southern Living