Basil pesto can be used as an accompaniment to many roast dishes but it also tastes delicious stirred through a big bowl of pasta.

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Basil pesto
  • Ingredients
  • Specials
  • 45g (1/4 cup) pine nuts
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 2 small garlic cloves, halved
  • 60g (3/4 cup) shredded parmesan
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil

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Basil pesto
Basil pesto
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    Recipe Comments and Reviews

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    5coolbrett added this comment at 09:08pm Sun 18th May, 2014
    Very tasty! Despite there being a generous amount of parmesan cheese in it, I still felt it needed more seasoning.
    4yavegemite added this comment at 02:45pm Sat 19th April, 2014
    Quite bland. Needs some salt and maybe less Parmesan. Something not quite right.
    5ohnomissjo rated this recipe at 08:08pm Fri 21st February, 2014
    5tcchef rated this recipe at 04:29am Tue 4th February, 2014
    4.5chenley added this comment at 05:16am Sat 11th January, 2014
    I suggest trying less oil (3.5 tbs) and less parmesan 50 gms and a touch more Basil. Process with half the pine nuts to start with and when the right consistency, add the remaining pine nuts so you can bring out more nut flavor and give it a bit more chunkiness. Perfect for me!
    0Bellsies added this comment at 09:47am Wed 8th January, 2014
    I whizzed this up as per the recipe and it wasn't quite right. Added 1/2 cup more basil. A touch more oil... Still wasn't right. Very thick and cheesy. Next time I tried this with only 1/4 cup of parmesan. The extra oil, and extra basil... MUCH better.
    5meeza added this comment at 11:32pm Sun 29th September, 2013
    I feel so bad that I haven't made pesto before after finding out it is such an easy thing to make!
    5nimbatro added this comment at 06:06pm Mon 29th July, 2013
    Love this pesto! Great for wraps, pasta, simply delicious
    5haloumicheese added this comment at 02:58pm Sat 27th July, 2013
    I make this with almonds instead of pine nuts - much cheaper and is the best pesto I have ever made... I love it! I don't always put much oil it, if I am making it for wraps and it still turns out amazing.
    5nlewell added this comment at 05:18pm Thu 16th May, 2013
    Delicious
    4.5Zagora added this comment at 02:15pm Sat 27th April, 2013
    Love this pesto, and so easy to make. I can't go back to ready made pesto after eating this.
    5Yummo12 added this comment at 08:16pm Mon 22nd April, 2013
    So easy,quick and delicious!!
    5LuLu87 added this comment at 05:22pm Sat 13th April, 2013
    Basil is my favourite herb and I always have it growing. This was delicious, never will I ever buy pesto again!! LOVED IT!! super easy as well
    4.5Breesk rated this recipe at 10:50am Sun 24th March, 2013
    5haloumicheese added this comment at 11:10pm Sun 10th March, 2013
    This is the best pesto I have EVER had! I used almonds instead of pine nuts, and I just love it. Will never buy it from the shops again.
    5beth_xoxo rated this recipe at 03:53pm Wed 6th March, 2013
    0Betina added this comment at 05:08pm Sat 2nd March, 2013
    Cashews work equally as well, easier on the budget too. I addded a dash of lemon juice and some sea salt to turn it from OK to fantatic!
    5gerardlee added this comment at 03:54pm Sat 2nd March, 2013
    This is the first time Ive ever made a pesto. I used a pestle and mortar, and all ingredients blended perfectly. I had to refrain from eating it out of the bowl, it was so delicious.
    4.5JB101 added this comment at 03:08pm Sat 9th February, 2013
    I roasted the pine nuts in a dry frying an instead of the oven, must more practical on an Australian Summer's day
    0barsha55 added this comment at 12:13pm Fri 8th February, 2013
    I made this pesto on a whim, after passing my herb gardens & the basil was plentiful. I didn't have pine nuts, so I toasted flaked almonds & used them instead. This was so quick to do, & so easy, but most of all so delicious! I did add some lemon rind & a little juice. Will do again
    5froggy24 added this comment at 06:56pm Fri 4th January, 2013
    Easy! First time making pesto and loved this recipe. Will never buy pesto in a jar again!
    5carlyv added this comment at 02:15pm Thu 3rd January, 2013
    Amazing pesto recipe. It is quite thick, so when I served it with pasta, I kept some of the cooking liquid and added that. That way it wasn't too oily, and much healthier.
    5mtfranklin89 added this comment at 04:32pm Sun 23rd December, 2012
    Sooooo delicious! I only added one garlic clove and it was almost perfect. The pesto is quite thick, so when it was time to serve it with pasta, I added a little bit more olive oil to the pesto.
    4.5Nattyko12 rated this recipe at 03:40pm Tue 20th November, 2012
    4.5caterinagrace rated this recipe at 05:00pm Fri 5th October, 2012
    4.5savstar99 added this comment at 09:00pm Sun 19th August, 2012
    This was almost perfect except I found the garlic a bit over bearing. Will only use one clove next time- and I will be making it again!
    5LimeJuice added this comment at 05:51pm Sat 11th August, 2012
    Equally good without garlic - my young kids are averse to the taste of raw garlic, sadly. Other than that, followed recipe quantities near exactly.
    5kmwaus added this comment at 07:57pm Wed 8th August, 2012
    So delicious and super easy!! I added less Parmesan (1/2 cup) as I thought it might be a little too cheesy. I also added less olive oil (4 tbs) to reduce the oiliness. Perfect!!! Tastes fantastic with pasta, chicken and sun-dried tomatoes...definitely a keeper!!
    5shakenbake01 added this comment at 02:49pm Fri 11th May, 2012
    I love this pesto, it is super easy and tastes amazing.
    5alieraleilia added this comment at 04:18pm Thu 12th April, 2012
    Love this recipe! It's a great way to use up all the extra basil growing in my herb garden. When I make it I also add the juice of 1 lemon.
    5Lauralee21 added this comment at 08:21pm Fri 6th January, 2012
    This was super easy and delicious, I used roasted cashews instead of pine nuts and it worked really well
    5gillett added this comment at 08:09pm Wed 19th October, 2011
    easy n yummy. used on tastes pumpkin pesto pasta recipe. :)
    5lau_ren added this comment at 12:22am Sun 21st August, 2011
    I cannot recommend this recipe highly enough. Loved it. Will never eat store-bought pesto again!
    gillett replied at 08:06pm Wed 19th October, 2011
    5 stars. easy to make. will make again
    5isabellee added this comment at 11:06am Thu 14th July, 2011
    super easy and really yummy
    5kasenlochiesmum added this comment at 08:32pm Fri 6th May, 2011
    So easy! I followed exactally, i never used to like basil pesto but now.... i love it! I used it with the basil pesto chicken recipe (on this site) yummo!!
    5Buverick added this comment at 09:36am Fri 29th April, 2011
    Incredibly easy to make and insanely delicious. I have used this recipe so many times (dips, chicken, pasta etc). Bit less cheese, bit more basil hits the spot nicely.
    5booray added this comment at 07:59am Mon 11th April, 2011
    Yum, Yum, Yum. Added extra basil for a more authentic taste.
    4kpclarke added this comment at 04:37pm Sat 9th April, 2011
    I made using a combo of walnuts and pine nuts and only one normal size clove of garlic. i found i had to add lemon to try and tone down the bitterness of it. Next time I'd use just cashews as I think the walnuts were way too strong for pesto. An OK pesto, needs tweaking.
    5mysummerreading added this comment at 08:47pm Tue 8th March, 2011
    This pesto is so yummy, I have made it many times. The best thing is that it freezes well so I can use up any excess basil...
    5grunde rated this recipe at 10:07pm Mon 14th February, 2011
    4.5buckleybabe added this comment at 11:35am Fri 7th January, 2011
    Very easy to make, first batch was a bit to creamy from the cheese so reduced it the next time, added pinenuts and cashews plus a squeeze of lemon, and less garlic. Yummy on toasted turkish bread.
    5LizzyLo added this comment at 03:39pm Thu 6th January, 2011
    Really easy to make and tastes great - have made it a few times now. Can be a bit garlic-y so I used just half a normal-sized clove this time and it's perfect!
    5OrganicOpal added this comment at 10:42pm Wed 22nd December, 2010
    Such a great way to use up fresh basil. And it keeps for four months!!! amazing.
    5Dutchiekiwi added this comment at 04:39pm Tue 16th November, 2010
    I love this pesto. I swap the pinenut for walnut and find that even tastier! Delicious and far better compared to anything out of a jar!
    5kitz29 added this comment at 11:20am Fri 25th June, 2010
    Beautiful pesto- super easy & quick (only 10mins for me) to make. I love it mixed with greek yogurt to use as a dip! Yummy!
    4popej01 added this comment at 09:22am Mon 24th May, 2010
    This recipe is nice but not a traditional pesto recipe which has a lot more basil, parsley and less cheese. Tasty but just too similar to the Copperpot Dip Chunky Basil dip to me.
    OrganicOpal replied at 10:39pm Wed 22nd December, 2010
    I made a version using all organis products. I used activated macadamia's and walnuts, a lot more basil, cold pressed organic saflower oil, barambah organic feta and a small amount of parmesan. I forgot the garlic, but it still tasted amazing and absolutely nothing like something you'de buy, everyone was eating it as I was making it!!! It's so versatile, fresh and easy. I love this recipe. 5 stars from me!
    5kikidarling added this comment at 11:10pm Tue 30th March, 2010
    Love this it's great with cashews or macadamia's for a change too! Tastes better the next day and freezes well.
    5Puffzilla added this comment at 09:47pm Mon 8th March, 2010
    sooo good and not oily at all which i loved!
    5kfarquharson rated this recipe at 04:06pm Wed 17th February, 2010
    5G-O added this comment at 09:33pm Fri 5th February, 2010
    We were initially worried that it would not be a big enough portion, but it managed to make enough for 4. It had a rich yet almost creamy flavour. We liked it a lot and had second helpings. :D
    5elenorus added this comment at 06:49pm Sun 31st January, 2010
    Great recipe! I'm not much of a cook (or at all!) but this was really easy and turned out wonderfully. My only warning would be to make sure you use garlic cloves on the smaller side of small or just use 1 if you have a med/large clove- I used two of the smallest cloves I had out of two heads(??) of garlic and it was a touch too much. Perfect recipe though!
    5fergie71 added this comment at 06:09pm Tue 26th January, 2010
    so easy & so delish.
    5meganscott00 added this comment at 08:01pm Thu 24th December, 2009
    Yum Yum Yum!! Even better when you get to use fresh basil from your own garden! I will def. be making this one again!! :)
    5marionh_au added this comment at 07:46pm Thu 8th October, 2009
    I made this to go with the chicken and basil pesto recipe. Both fabulous and very very easy. It will go on my list of regular meals. Thank you!
    5Rezso added this comment at 06:00pm Tue 28th July, 2009
    A delicious pesto. A cheaper option is to substitute pine nuts ($8 a bag!) for pumpkin seeds. I used the same quantity and toasted them too. The flavour was just as good as the original - rich and nutty.
    4Mrs_Scott added this comment at 07:19pm Thu 23rd July, 2009
    Yum Yum YUM!!!! I did put a little lemon Juice and also salt and pepper but it was just so fresh I put soft cheese avocado into a chicken breast then into puff pastry - oh my it was so amazing!!!
    5edemiri added this comment at 10:23pm Tue 2nd June, 2009
    Lovely!
    5k23man added this comment at 12:23am Sun 19th April, 2009
    This pesto is truely delicious. I didn't add quite as much oil as the recipe suggests however.
    5gaildalui added this comment at 05:52pm Mon 13th April, 2009
    yum! My blender died on me so i had to manually chop it, it turned out fine though. I cooked this pesto with mushrooms and pan fried chicken with cream (i added a bit too much -200mL but it still tasted nice)
    5SandyL17 added this comment at 02:22pm Sun 12th April, 2009
    Really easy - really tasty
    4.5kmansfield added this comment at 01:19pm Sun 12th April, 2009
    I love this recipe but I added some lemon juice (a tip from my dad) to give it more tang.
    5Shells added this comment at 06:10am Fri 27th February, 2009
    This is now my standard recipe -- doubles easily and freezes in meal-sized portions well too.
    5Truffula added this comment at 06:06pm Thu 26th February, 2009
    Who ever thought it could taste so good without salt? Great pesto!
    5yma86 added this comment at 07:55pm Sun 22nd February, 2009
    A beautiful pesto! Will never buy it again, this is tastier and easier to make!
    5peelpa added this comment at 04:38pm Mon 2nd February, 2009
    Really easy and quick recipe and very yummy. Doesn't make too much.
    5jvargas added this comment at 02:54pm Thu 27th November, 2008
    This recipe is just perfect - tasty and easy!!
    5samh added this comment at 03:54pm Fri 21st November, 2008
    Have been looking for a good, solid recipe for pesto and this was perfect. made it for the basil pesto chicken recipe (also on taste.com.au) and it was a HUGE hit!!
    4.5luella added this comment at 08:45pm Fri 27th June, 2008
    This was the first time I made pesto and I was very impressed! It was easy and does not contain as much oil as many other pesto recipes. I will make it again for sure!
    5annat1110 added this comment at 07:43pm Sat 14th June, 2008
    So delicious and so simple - unfortunately I don't have a food processor, but got by ok with my stab mixer - albeit with some parmesan flying about! Will be making this recipe many times again.
    5maubs91 added this comment at 02:45pm Sun 1st June, 2008
    this is a beautiful and simple recipe for pesto. its so hard to find a good pesto or trust a recipe, but this one is fantastic!!!! soooo delicious and easy to make. absolutely loved it as did the whole family
    5rylee added this comment at 05:03pm Wed 9th April, 2008
    So quick and easy. Tastes delicious!
    4.5kbar4690 added this comment at 11:40am Fri 28th March, 2008
    Fantastic pesto. The whole family loved it and I'll be making this again for sure!
    5Brandy1946 added this comment at 06:29pm Sun 6th January, 2008
    This recipe is really easy (well, it was when I remembered to put the chopping blades into the processor! :) The basil was fresh from my garden, too.
    5megholsam added this comment at 12:58am Sun 6th January, 2008
    I used raw cashews as I didn't have any pine nuts and it tasted great!
    5spriiinkles added this comment at 04:09pm Fri 7th December, 2007
    everybody loves this pesto and i get requests for it all the time! I'm basil crazy...so i eat it on crackers, pasta, meat, potatoes, everything!!
    5joyanne added this comment at 08:50pm Wed 13th June, 2007
    A beautifully balanced pesto.
    5katharine8283 rated this recipe at 10:30am Fri 1st June, 2007
    5traceye1 added this comment at 08:10pm Sat 3rd March, 2007
    Really easy, quick and delicious. Make changes like adding a little chilli or using roasted garlic or garlic olive oil
    5Jomack added this comment at 09:07pm Mon 22nd January, 2007
    This recipe was easy to make and tasted good!

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    Esmewatson asked this question at 03:04pm Mon 3rd March, 2014
    Question: Fresh basil goes black in the freezer. You can freeze pesto sauce but it can lose flavour and is best taken out after 1 month. Pesto sauce will keep in glass jars in the fridge for a couple of weeks, ensure the top of the pesto is covered in olive oil.
    Esmewatson replied at 03:05pm Mon 3rd March, 2014
    Oops wrong section!
    LuLu87 asked this question at 07:53pm Fri 12th April, 2013
    Question: How long will a fresh batch of this pesto last in the fridge for ? Thanks in advance :)
    Julesarnold asked this question at 03:54pm Mon 8th April, 2013
    Question: Can u freeze pesto?
    tashsteph asked this question at 02:57pm Wed 6th February, 2013
    Question: Is it possible to freeze this pesto? I have so much basil growing in my garden I didn't want it to go to waste.
    Esmewatson replied at 03:06pm Mon 3rd March, 2014
    Make pesto for friends as presents, your friends will love you!

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