Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce (nut-free!)
How to make pesto sauce? Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce (aka: Pesto alla Genovese), is a Northern Italian sauce, made with primarily fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, and 2 kinds of cheeses. It’s a simple sauce that requires no cooking, only blending, and tossed with pasta for a quick dish during the spring and summer months. Only this one is nut-free and easy to make in a matter of minutes!
Our fresh basil pesto sauce is made with 5 ingredients and no nuts! And it is blended into a creamy smooth sauce. Plus, our recipe is completely nut-free and still it is SO delicious-tasting – no one will miss the pine nuts, for sure.
What is Pesto Sauce?
Pesto sauce is a green-colored sauce, made primarily with fresh basil, olive oil and grated cheeses. No cooking involved what’s-so-ever. But you will need a good blender or food processor.
The original recipe requires only fresh basil, some pine nuts, and two kinds of cheeses, Pecorino, and Parmigiano. And, it originated from Genoa the region of Liguria, in Northern Italy. But to be prepared strictly with a marble mortar, and a wooden pestle. The Ligurians are known for making the BEST pesto sauce in the world.
However, with nut allergies in our family, we have become a “nut-free” home, eliminating all the nuts altogether.
Regardless, even without pine nuts, our pesto sauce is exquisite and positively delicious every time!
Reasons You’ll Love Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce:
- Pesto is super versatile as a sauce, and the possibilities are endless!
- It’s very easy and requires No cooking! (we love that!)
- You can use it as a delicious condiment: easily drizzle some over pizza, eggs, and as well on grilled shrimp or chicken.
- Drizzle on sliced fresh garden tomatoes and mozzarella for Caprese skewers or salad.Â
- Add one or two tablespoons to soups, for extra flavoring.
- Fresh basil pesto sauce is not only for pasta! You can stir pesto into risotto, drizzle over fresh veggies, grilled chicken and more!
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We make it all year long, and use it with so many recipes.Â
In our family, everyone’s favorite dish is spaghetti with fresh basil pesto sauce – hands down!!
Let’s Discuss: Fresh Pesto verses Buying the Jarred Pesto?
- Fresh is always better! Homemade is always going to be better, and you can actually taste the difference.Â
- Best of all, no preservatives, additives or other unknown ingredients, and no seed oils.
- Making it homemade is healthier.
- When you make it homemade you know you are getting quality ingredients. Not a fake, imitation sauce.
Take our word for it…Â It’s worth taking 5 minutes of your time to make it fresh. Â Fresh is always BEST!
Recipe Notes and Tips for Success…
- If you prefer, you can add nuts to this recipe, and about 2 tablespoons of pine nuts or walnuts when blending.
- When blending, try not to blend the mixture too long, or it will start cooking the sauce. You want to keep it fresh, and clean tasting.
- Also, it is recommended to drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top after you have transferred it to your mason jar. This will keep the fresh bright green color, and keep it from turning brown.
- Plus, pesto sauce is a delicate sauce. Do not place it directly over heat. It’s best to remove your pasta pot from direct heat when tossing the pesto with your pasta.
Can we freeze pesto sauce?
Yes, you can. One recommendation is to spoon the pesto into your ice cube trays and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tops of each of the cubes. Then freeze the ice trays for a few hours until solid. Remove the frozen pesto cubes add them to a large plastic food storage bag and label it along with the date. Then drop them into your soups, or add a few to your skillet chicken dishes, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Some Recipes & Dishes to use Pesto Sauce:
Here are a few additional dishes you can use fresh basil pesto sauce from 2 Sisters Recipes:
- Chicken Rollatini with Pesto and Mozzarella
- Easy Cheese Ravioli with Pesto Sauce
- Flounder Filet Rollatini
- Seared Sea Scallops Over Pesto Sauce
- Cod Fillet Over Pesto Risotto
Keep in mind, if you have family members that have nut allergies. Omit the nuts completely!
Here’s a Helpful Tip:
Keep our pesto sauce in an air-tight jar, refrigerated.  Add a small amount of olive oil on top of the sauce in the jar after every time you use some.  It will stay fresh for up to 3 months.Â
Additional Recipes for Delicious Pesto Sauces:Â
Fresh tasting and delicious over pasta. These two recipes won’t disappoint. Try them!
If you make our fresh basil pesto sauce, let us know and leave a comment with a star rating! We’d love to hear from you. Sharing your insights and experiences helps everyone who reads them, and helps us too! Snap a photo and share it on social media, be sure to tag us @2sistersrecipes or hashtag #2sistersrecipes.Â
Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce
Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce is an easy and delicious sauce for any quick dish anytime! Fresh basil with some garlic and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino cheeses are blended with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with your favorite pasta for a delicious quick meal.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 bunches of basil - about 3 to 5 cups or more - packed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil ( plus extra as needed)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/8 tsp. of salt
- dash of cayenne pepper
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
Instructions
- First, if you taking fresh basil from your garden, you will need to prep and rinse the leaves. Remove only the leaves of basil, and discard all the stems. Using a salad spinner rinse fresh basil under cold water, then spin out excess water. No Need if you buy fresh basil that's already been rinsed.
- Using a blender, or a food processor, pour in only 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and toss in the basil leaves, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Blend on high speed to puree those first six ingredients (hold the grated Parmesan and pecorino cheeses), for a few seconds, until it is well blended. Then, use a spatula to push down on the sides. NOTE: If the mixture is too thick, drizzle a little more olive oil into the mixture, do this only in small increments and blend until it reaches a nice smooth consistency.
- Then add in both kinds of cheeses and blend until well combined. Again, if the mixture is too thick, you can drizzle a little more olive oil, and blend again.
- Taste the pesto, and season with salt and black pepper, to your liking.
- Transfer the pesto in an air-tight glass mason jar, or airtight container. Keep it chilled in the refrigerated, and it will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
- Yields: about 2 cups
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 to 8 servings Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 cup)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 71Total Fat: 7.4gCarbohydrates: .8gFiber: .2gSugar: .1gProtein: 1.4g
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Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Happy and Healthy Cooking! 🙂
xo Anna and Liz
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