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    Home » Recipes » Food

    Published: Aug 12, 2020 · Modified: Mar 13, 2023 by Anina Belle Giannini

    5 minute Simple Basil Pesto Recipe

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Pesto is one of my favorite ways to add flavor to a dish. I make this 5 minute simple basil pesto recipe almost weekly while we have fresh basil growing in our garden.

    Caprese salad with Pesto
    Tomato & Mozzarella Salad with Pesto

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    Salads become exciting with a spoonful of pesto in the dressing. A plate full of pasta needs only a tablespoon of Pesto and a drizzle of olive oil to feel like vacation on a plate.

    Pasta and Pesto
    Pasta Shells with Pesto

    Not to mention how grilled chicken, fish or veggies are elevated to the status of a Mediterranean feast by pesto!

    This recipe for making pesto is actually less intimidating than I originally thought and the end result is so much fresher and brighter than store bought jars of pesto. Italians will dispute this recipe as they like to add more ingredients to their pesto, but, as you know, I am always looking for the simplest, easiest way to make a flavorful, delicious dish for my family.

    Le Chef’s grandmother, Mamie, shared her recipe with us that I have made time and time again and I am happy to share with you here.

    ingredients for pesto
    Ingredients for Simple Basil Pesto

    Mamie’s 5 minute Simple Basil Pesto recipe:

    Equipment Needed:

    Food processor (Here is the Kitchen Aid hand blender I have been using for the past 8 years – it is ideal for storing in small kitchens like mine and has helped me to make everything from pesto to creamy soups to hummus to baby food.

    A glass jar for storing the pesto in the fridge (I like to repurpose our Bonne Maman jam jars)

    fresh pesto
    Fresh Basil Pesto

    Extend the life of your pesto

    Le Chef’s Wife Tip: Treat your pesto like a sourdough starter and keep feeding it – it will last much longer. I add olive oil to my pesto jar after every serving and it stretches out the life and the enjoyment of your pesto.

    This recipe is quite concentrated so you can really get many more helpings by stretching it out…A necessary thing when your husband eats pesto at an impressive rate!

    Niçois salad with Pesto
    Niçoise Salad with Pesto

    Looking for yummy recipes to make with your pesto?

    Check out my Salade Nicois and Soupe au Pistou recipes for authentic French Riviera flavors. Pesto is also a great to slather on a Fresh baked baguette for a delicious open face sandwich with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

    Le Chef’s Wife Tip: Treat your pesto like a sourdough starter and keep feeding it – it will last much longer. I add olive oil to my pesto jar after every serving and it stretches out the life and the enjoyment of your pesto.

    This recipe is quite concentrated so you can really get many more helpings by stretching it out…A necessary thing when your husband eats pesto at an impressive rate!

    I would love to know if you try this recipe and which dishes you like to add pesto to.

    Follow me on Instagram or Pinterest for recipe and French Riviera lifestyle inspirations .

    Au Plaisir,

    Le Chef’s Wife

    ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE

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    Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.

    I share our home cooking on Instagram, pinterest and tiktok. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!

    We were just recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You Can watch our full segment here:

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=KR5GaLB7knQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed
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    Pasta Shells with Pesto

    5 minute Simple Basil Pesto Recipe

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Anina Belle Gianini
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 5 minutes
    • Yield: 2 cups fresh pesto 1x
    • Category: starters
    • Cuisine: French
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A simple Basil pesto recipe to add a burst of summertime flavor to your dishes. This recipe can be made in minutes and reminds me of the South of France.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half
    • 4 Cups of fresh Basil leaves (washed, dried and removed from the stalk – drying is an important step here – you don’t want watered down pesto!)
    • 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
    • ¾ of a cup of pine nuts
    • 1 cup of fresh shaved parmesan (you can use the desiccated kind if you are in a pinch, but fresh parmesan cheese tastes so much better!)
    • Pinch of salt and pepper (the parmesan is salty enough – you don’t need to add much more salt)

    Instructions

    Pulse the garlic a few times in the food processor. Add half the basil and half the olive oil. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the remaining basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt & pepper. Blend until everything is well chopped an all the ingredients are nicely integrated. Your pesto should be a bright green color.

    Voila! It is that simple. Transfer immediately to a jar and store in the fridge.


    Notes

    Le Chef’s Wife Tip: Treat your pesto like a sourdough starter and keep feeding it – it will last much longer. I add olive oil to my pesto jar after every serving and it stretches out the life and the enjoyment of your pesto. This recipe is quite concentrated so you can really get many more helpings by stretching it out…A necessary thing when your husband eats pesto at an impressive rate!

    Check out my Salade Nicois and Soupe au Pistou recipes for authentic French Riviera flavors. Pesto is also a great to slather on a Fresh baked baguette for a delicious open face sandwich with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @lechefswife on Instagram

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David says

      September 09, 2020 at 4:13 pm

      It looks so fresh I can almost taste it. How fine do you recommend it be processed? To a creamy texture, or with some visible bits left? 🙂

      Reply

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    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

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