Ahhhh pesto....it is quite possibly my favorite food. I make all different types and put it on just about everything. Seriously, like everything. This recipe is light and healthy and made with just a few, simple ingredients!
The beauty of pesto is that you can use all different types of nuts and seeds. In this recipe I use basil and pine nuts.
It is the most classic version of pesto and nothing beats a classic, right?
I've also made Pumpkin Pesto with pumpkin seeds that was ridiculously delicious too. The possibilities are endless.
Scroll down below to see all of my other pesto recipes using a variety of different ingredients!
You can use sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cashews... you can use different cheeses besides Parmesan like Manchego, Asiago or Romano...... you can also substitute parsley, cilantro, spinach or arugula for the basil.
Get creative and use whatever you like and whatever you have in the house!
I have created so any various recipes for all kinds of pesto. Honestly, I love them all.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1½ ounces pine nuts or nuts of choice, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds etc
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces fresh basil leaves torn
Instructions
- Add ingredients to Vita-Mix (or other high speed blender or food processor) in the order displayed.
- If using Vitamix: Turn machine to Variable Speed 1, then increase quickly to Variable Speed 7, blend for 1 minute. If using food processor: blend until smooth.
I like to keep this pesto in the refrigerator (in an airtight container) all the time. On nights when I don't know what to make for dinner (which seems to be more often these days) I grill or bake some chicken and spread this delicious pesto on top.
Easy peasy just how I like it.
And because pesto seems so fancy, it comes across as a meal that took hours to prepare. Only you and I know ridiculously easy it is to make.
I actually made this for Christmas dinner one year when my kids were super young and I didn't have as much time to cook. No one had any idea how little time it took to prepare.
I want to share some more recipes with pesto in them that you might like...
Cheesy Stuffed Pesto Chicken Breasts
Squash Noodles with Kale Arugula Pesto and Crunchy Chickpeas
Zucchini Noodles with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Walnut Pesto Toast with Gorgonzola Cheese
Avocado Tomato Mozzarella Panini
Pesto Arugula Yellow Tomato Pizza with Fresh Basil
Gnocchi Spinach and Tomatoes in Pesto Sauce
Sauteed vegetables with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
They are all so delicious and all so different at the same time. This simple pesto recipe is the one I typically use for Italian dinners. I think it's because of the basil in there, it just seems to pair perfectly with Italian food.
ENJOY!!
Oh and just in case you didn't hear the news, MY BOOK HAS BEEN RELEASED!! That's me, sick as a dog, but SO EXCITED to finally hold my book!
My hands were shaking so bad flipping through the pages...it was like giving birth to my 4th baby 🙂
I hope you like it. I am SO proud of it and can't wait for everyone to read it! Go check out Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble if you'd like to order it.
And if you like it, PLEASE leave me a good review 🙂
Thank you again for all of your love, support and encouragement!
If you make this simple pesto recipe or any of my other recipes, please come back and let me know. You guys know I love to hear from you!
Thank you for stopping by!
Julia
Um ... this looks great, but cheese definitely is NOT vegan. Can you just leave it out or do you need to change the proportions of the other ingredients to make the texture right?
lauren
Yes Julia you are absolutely right, cheese is definitely not vegan 🙂 You can just take it out and all the other ingredients stay the same. Thanks!