Simple Basil Pesto

One of my favorite things about summer is all of the fresh, local produce available. We cannot get enough fresh tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and lettuce this time of year and it makes meal planning so simple: meat + fresh produce.

As much as possible, I like to cook seasonally while produce is cheaper and fresher. Some of our other favorite summer recipes include this zucchini frittata, strawberry lemon slushies, and lemon blueberry bread. Of course, we grill many, many of our meals and it is so nice to not heat up the house with the oven.

If you’re looking for more simple summer meal ideas, check out this guide with eight weeks of summer dinners planned for you.

Today I thought I’d share with you one of our very favorite summer recipes: basil pesto. We literally cannot wait for fresh basil every summer to turn into pesto. It is absolutely delicious on everything from pasta and sourdough to fresh cut vegetables. Our very favorite way to eat it is with homemade sourdough crackers. It’s just perfection.

Basil is one of my staple herbs that I plant in the garden every year. Ours is a bit behind this year due to an unusually cool spring, so we were super excited to find big bunches of it at our local farmer’s market. Of course the first thing we did was take it home and turn it into fresh pesto. It just tastes like summer and it is so easy to make with ingredients already in your pantry.

Simple Ingredients

• Basil: of course fresh basil is a must and it is usually easy to find this time of year at your local farmer’s markets. You can also add spinach, if you like, to fill it out or add some extra nutrients.
• Nuts: typically, basil pesto recipes call for pine nuts, but they are hard to find and expensive. I like to use either walnuts or almonds, typically whichever is in the freezer.
• Parmesan: grated parmesan works best for this.
• Garlic: it’s no secret that we love garlic in our house, but it adds so much flavor to this recipe.
• Olive oil: adds flavor and makes it smooth.
• Salt: essential for flavor, use more or less depending on taste.

Simple process

When I say this is one of the easiest things you will ever make, I mean it. I literally dump everything into my little Kitchen Aid blender and blend until its smooth and the consistency that I want.

What to serve with pesto

Bail pesto is a delicious dip with so many things. Use it as a dip for fresh carrots and cucumbers, spread it on a sandwich, add it to pasta or pizza. Our favorite way to eat it is with homemade sourdough crackers, so yum!

How to store basil pesto

Basil pesto will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, although it is best eaten fresh. Just make sure to store in an airtight container or with plastic wrap tightly over top.

Pesto also freezes incredibly well. I like to make a batch and then freeze it in ice cube trays, then just quickly thaw to use. This is such a great way to use excess basil and preserve it for later as well.