This quick and easy Lemony Garlic and Basil Pesto is bursting with fresh lemon flavor. This homemade pesto comes together with just a handful of ingredients and in just a few minutes. Once you try it you might never buy store bought pesto again!
Is there really anything better than the smell of fresh basil? We grow basil in our backyard every year and this year the plants did so well we decided to make our own pesto. Even with the amount the recipe calls for we had PLENTY leftover. With so much basil, whipping up a batch of this Lemony Garlic and Basil Pesto was easy.
We tend to eat pasta frequently in our household, especially since my husband is Italian and I have two very picky toddlers. It is embarrassing to say I was never truly a fan of pesto as a pasta sauce until I started making it myself. The freshly squeezed lemon juice and the saltiness of the freshly grated parmesan cheese creates such a wonderful flavor. I will actually admit I was eating it by the spoonful when I had some left over after making dinner.
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can make so many variations. Don't have basil? Try arugula. Not a fan of pine nuts? Try some toasted walnuts. The possibilities are endless with these 17 Easy Pesto Recipes Without Pine Nuts!
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Lemony Garlic and Basil Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups packed fresh basil
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until fragrant and starting to turn golden brown
- Set nuts aside in a bowl to cool
- In a food processor, add garlic and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Let the garlic sit in the lemon juice while you grate the parmesan cheese. This helps break down the harsh garlic flavor.
- Add the basil, grated parmesan, toasted pine nuts and salt to the food processor and pulse a few times until it becomes a thick mixture, scraping down the sides as needed
- Turn the processor on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil from the top whiles mixing
- Mix with your favorite pasta or cover in a bowl and refrigerate
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