One of the hardest adjustments when adapting to a grain-free lifestyle was finding alternatives to traditional Italian dishes. When you’re gluten-free and dairy-free, it can be hard to find ingredients like pasta, mozzarella cheese, and gnocchi.
Since then, we’ve reintroduced dairy and grains back into our diet, but I’ve found that I still love the healthy alternative recipes I’ve made over the years, including this easy pesto recipe with fresh basil. Fresh pesto sauce made with garlic and fresh basil is completely different from store-bought.
The Best Homemade Pesto Recipe
Commercially available pesto isn’t too bad, but it’s hard to find one that doesn’t contain unhealthy vegetable oils. Thankfully, basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow. I’m no gardener, but that doesn’t stop me from killing it. In fact, one summer my garden was covered in 3-foot-tall basil plants.
When basil harvest season came around, I would make a big batch of this pesto sauce and freeze it to use all year round, which made it so much easier because I could have the pesto sauce whenever I needed it.
Best of all, basil has many uses as a natural remedy, including as a tonic and tea. I like to tie unused basil leaves by the stems and hang them upside down to dry for future use. (I recommend placing the basil in a paper bag to catch any loose leaves.)
Pesto Recipe Ingredients
Most pesto recipes call for Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for a creamy flavor, but this version is dairy-free (but still full of flavor!) Pesto is basically a puree of fresh basil, nuts, olive oil, and garlic. It’s a beautiful green color and full of flavor.
Many versions call for toasted pine nuts, but I use almonds instead. For a nut-free version, you could also try pecans, pistachios, cashews, or sunflower seeds.
How to use pesto
There are so many ways to use this delicious sauce. It’s great in almost any Italian or pasta dish. I also add a little to omelets, coconut flour biscuits (with savory fillings), and grain-free breads. Here are some ideas for how to use pesto sauce:
Preserving homemade pesto
I mentioned earlier that I like to make a big batch and store it for later, and if you don’t have that much basil on hand, it will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
For an easy single serving, you can pour the pesto into ice cube trays and freeze it, then remove it and store it in a freezer-safe container so you can defrost only the amount you need at a time.
Basil Pesto Recipe
Fresh basil, garlic, olive oil…it doesn’t get any better than this.
- 2 cup Fresh basil (Packed)
- 1/2 cup Raw almonds
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼-1/2 cup Olive oil (Until you reach your desired consistency)
- salt (taste)
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Place basil, almonds, and garlic in a blender.
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With the blender on, slowly add the oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
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Add salt according to taste.
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Use immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Nutrition facts
Basil Pesto Recipe
1 serving (2 tablespoons)
calorie 114
Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
fat 11 grams17%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 8g
sodium 1 mg0%
potassium 86mg2%
carbohydrates 2 grams1%
Fiber: 2g8%
protein 2 gramsFour%
Vitamin A 316IU6%
Vitamin C 1 mg1%
calcium 36mgFour%
iron 0.6 mg3%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
To freeze pesto, place a few tablespoons into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer to a large container with a lid and store in the freezer.
Other Homemade Seasoning Recipes:
Do you like basil pesto? Share it below!
