How to make pesto sauce? Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce (as known as Pesto lla Genovese), is a Northern Italian sauce, made with primarily fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and 2 kinds of cheeses. It’s a simple sauce that requires no cooking, only blending, and tossed with pasta for a quick dish during the spring and summer months. 

Our fresh basil pesto sauce is made with 5 ingredients and no nuts! And it is blended into a creamy smooth sauce.  It’s completely nut-free and so delicious-tasting.

 

What is Pesto Sauce?

• Pesto sauce is a green-colored sauce, made primarily with fresh basil and olive oil. No cooking, only blending.
• And a few additional ingredients are added to enhance its aromatic flavors: pine nuts, and two kinds of cheeses, Pecorino, and Parmigiano.

• It originated from Genoa the region of Liguria, in Northern Italy. But to be prepared strictly with a marble mortar, and a wooden pestle. The Ligurians are known for making the BEST pesto sauce in the world.

• Still today, the Ligurians hold yearly competitions and even award those who make the “best pesto sauce” year after year.  

However, nowadays, and with nut allergies in our family, we have become a NUT-FREE home, eliminating all the nuts altogether.

Regardless, even without pine nuts, our pesto sauce is exquisite and positively delicious every time!

 

Reasons to Love Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce:

1. pesto is super versatile as a sauce, and the possibilities are endless!
2. it’s very easy and requires No cooking! (whatsoever!)
3. use it as a delicious condiment: easily drizzle it over pizza, eggs, and as well on grilled shrimp or chicken.
4. use it on fresh garden tomatoes and mozzarella for Caprese salad. 
5. add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of pesto to soups for extra flavoring.
6. not only for pasta! You can stir pesto into the risotto and enjoy the most delicious flavor in risotto ever!

    

I make it all year long and use it with so many recipes. 

In our family, everyone’s favorite dish is spaghetti with fresh basil pesto sauce – hands down!!

Fresh Pesto vs. Buying the Jarred Pesto?

• While “fresh” sauce always tastes so much better than store-bought, when it is homemade, you can actually taste the difference!  Best of all, it’s so much better for you, and healthier.

• No preservatives, no additives, no soybean oil, or corn oil. Just all-natural, healthy ingredients to give us the BEST flavor and tasting sauce ever!

• When you make it homemade you know you are getting quality ingredients. Not a fake, imitation sauce.

Take our word for it!  It’s worth making it homemade! 

Fresh is always BEST!

Pro Notes and Tips…

• If you prefer, you can add nuts to this recipe, and about 2 tablespoons of pine nuts or walnuts when blending.

• When blending, try not to blend the mixture too long, or it will start cooking the sauce. You want to keep it fresh, and clean tasting.
• Also, it is recommended to drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top after you have transferred it to your mason jar. This will keep the fresh bright green color, and keep it from turning brown.
• Keep in mind, that pesto sauce is a delicate sauce. Do not place it directly over heat. It’s best to remove your pasta pot from direct heat when tossing the pesto with your pasta.

Can we freeze pesto sauce?

1. Yes, you can. You can spoon the pesto into your ice cube trays and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tops of each of the cubes.
2. Then freeze the ice trays for a few hours until solid. Remove the frozen pesto cubes add them to a large plastic food storage bag and label it along with the date.

Additional recipes to use pesto sauce with…

• Chicken Rollatini with Pesto and Mozzarella
• Flounder Filet Rollatini  
• Seared Sea Scallops Over Pesto Sauce
• Cod Fillet Over Pesto Risotto 

Keep in mind, if you have family members that have nut allergies.  Omit the nuts completely! 

Here’s a GREAT Tip!
Keep our pesto sauce in an air-tight jar, refrigerated.  Add a small amount of olive oil on top of the sauce in the jar after every time you use some.  It will stay fresh for up to 4 months. 

Also, try our recipes for other Pesto Sauces: 

Fresh tasting and delicious over pasta!  They too won’t disappoint! 

• Easy Kale and Spinach Pesto Sauce
• Spinach Pesto Sauce   

ENJOY!!

If you make our fresh basil pesto sauce, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating!  We’d love to hear from you. 

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Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  

Happy and Healthy Cooking! 🙂

xo Anna and Liz