Easy Homemade Pesto Sauce Recipe

This easy Homemade Pesto Sauce recipe is made simply in a blender or food processor. Use this delicious sauce with pasta, spaghetti squash, chicken, pizza, and more!

It’s hard to believe that there was a time when I thought pesto sauce was something I wouldn’t like. I guess it was the intense green color, but I’m not really sure why I thought I wouldn’t like it. At some point, I tried pesto in a restaurant. It was part of an appetizer that someone else at the table had ordered to share with the group. That was all it took — pesto was delicious and it was the start of a beautiful new relationship.

I’ve made pesto numerous ways, including a Spinach Basil Pesto Sauce. But my preferred pesto is always more traditional: basil, pine nuts, olive oil, parmesan cheese.

One of the key ingredients in this recipe is pine nuts – a nut that is traditionally used to make pesto. Pine nuts can be quite expensive, so if you prefer, you could also substitute another type of nuts, such as walnuts or almonds. Using walnuts or almonds makes a delicious pesto sauce too, but I personally prefer pine nuts.

You will also need basil leaves. I usually buy my basil leaves at one of two different stores: Trader Joe’s or Costco.

At Trader Joe’s, I buy either the potted basil plant they often sell or I buy the large container of basil in the produce department. This is my most common place to buy it.

We also have a Costco Business Center here in Vegas. It’s similar to a regular Costco, but more suited for businesses, which means it has a lot of bulk products that a restaurant would use. At the Costco Business Center, I can buy a large container of basil leaves for an awesome price. I don’t usually shop at this particular Costco, but when I do, I ALWAYS grab a container of basil so I can make a batch of homemade pesto sauce.

Making this homemade pesto sauce recipe is incredibly easy. You take all the ingredients and blend them in a blender or a food processor until smooth. That’s it. If you want your pesto sauce thinner, just add more olive oil. If you want it thicker, you can refrigerate it for a while and it will usually thicken. Or you can add more pine nuts or basil.

Once your easy homemade pesto sauce is finished, it’s ready to be used. The most common ways we use pesto sauce in our house is for pasta or 3-Ingredient Pesto Spaghetti Squash recipe or as a base for pizza. With a thick pesto, we also love to make Pesto Tortilla Pinwheels recipe. We also use pesto for various chicken recipes. Needless to say, it’s a favorite and we look for any excuse to have pesto!

Easy Homemade Pesto Sauce Recipe

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Easy Homemade Pesto Sauce Recipe

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• Author: Brandie Valenzuela

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Description

This easy Homemade Pesto Sauce recipe is made simply in a blender or food processor. Use this delicious sauce with pasta, spaghetti squash, chicken, pizza, and more!

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Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt + pepper to taste

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Instructions

In a blender or food processor, place the garlic, basil, pine nuts, parmesan, and olive oil. Pulse until ingredients are combined and you have a thick sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Use sauce with pasta, spaghetti squash, or in other desired recipes.

• Category: Sauce
• Method: Blending
• Cuisine: Italian

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