Paolo’s Italian Pesto (World Champion)
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Fifteen minutes from now, you could be eating the pesto that won a World Championship competition in Italy! If you’ve never tasted real pesto—that bright, garlicky, nutty sauce that makes everything it touches taste like summer—you’re about to understand what all the fuss is about. Once you make this version, I don’t think you’ll ever make another. It’s that good!
Make some today and spread it on some homemade ciabatta!
Why Make Your Own
Simple technique, incredible results. Your kitchen will smell like an Italian herb garden, and that first bite—all garlicky, nutty, and bright—will make you wonder why you ever settled for the jarred stuff.
- Just blend ingredients in a food processor (no cooking!)
- Fresh basil and real cheese create flavors jar pesto can’t match
- Versatile enough to use on everything
- Freeze portions for later
The Ingredients (Don’t Stress About These!)
Don’t get caught up in finding the “perfect” ingredients. Good basil, decent olive oil, and real cheese will get you 90% of the way there. For the perfectionists out there:
Basil – Ideal: Small, young basil leaves; traditional Genovese basil will give you that authentic flavor the champions used. Reality Check: Any fresh basil works fine. Avoid wilted or black-spotted leaves, but don’t stress about finding the “perfect” variety.
Pine Nuts – Ideal: Italian or Portuguese pine nuts; Reality Check: Regular pine nuts from the grocery store are totally fine. Trader Joe’s and Costco are good places to find them.
Olive Oil – Ideal: Mild, fruity extra-virgin olive oil; Reality Check: Any decent olive oil works. If your oil tastes really peppery on its own, it might overpower the basil, but you’ll still get delicious pesto.
Cheese – Ideal: Real Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino-Romano (the original recipe used Pecorino-Toscano, which I think would be very difficult to find in the USA); Reality Check: Good parmesan from the deli counter works great. The pre-grated stuff in a can? Skip it—it won’t melt properly and tastes like cardboard.
Salt – Ideal: Sea salt flakes; Reality Check: Regular table salt works fine. Just use a bit less since it’s more concentrated.
The Simple Method
Step 1: Prep Rinse your basil and let it soak in water for 10-15 minutes. This helps it blend more smoothly.
Step 2: Start with the Nuts. Toss pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil into your food processor or blender. Process/pulse it until the nuts are chopped up and everything looks creamy. Add the salt.
Step 3: Add the Basil. Add all your basil leaves (shake off excess water or squeeze out the water) and pulse until smooth and bright green. If your food processor is struggling, add a teaspoon of water to help things along.
Step 4: Finish with Cheese. Add both cheeses and pulse just until mixed in. Don’t go crazy here—you want to keep some texture.
That’s it! Seriously.
Ways to Use This Pesto (Beyond Pasta!)
Quick Weeknight Meals:
- Toss with any pasta shape (try homemade fusilli!)
- Spread on grilled chicken or fish
- Mix into scrambled eggs
- Stir into soup for instant flavor (minestrone is great for this!)
Easy Appetizers:
- Spread on crusty bread or crackers
- Mix with sour cream or cream cheese for a dip
- Drizzle over fresh mozzarella and tomatoes
Meal Prep:
- Freeze in ice cube trays for portion-controlled additions
- Make compound butter with a spoonful of pesto
- Create quick marinades for chicken or vegetables
- Use it as a base for NY pizza or Neapolitan pizza
- Make salad dressing (mix with a little lemon juice)
- Use as a sandwich bread spread
- Toss with roasted vegetables
- Mix into rice or quinoa
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Week: Cover with a thin layer of olive oil and stick it in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3 days.
For Later: Freeze it! Here are the easiest ways:
- Ice cube trays: Perfect single servings. Pop them out and store in freezer bags.
- Freezer bags: Spread it flat, then break off chunks as needed.
- Small containers: Great for family-sized portions.
Pro Tip: If you’re making a big batch to freeze, skip the cheese and add it fresh when you use the pesto. Cheese can get weird when frozen, but the basil base freezes beautifully.
Troubleshooting (Because Things Happen)
Food processor struggling? Add a little water or olive oil to help things move.
Too thick? Add olive oil or water, one teaspoon at a time.
Too thin? Add more basil or nuts.
Too salty? Add more basil and a splash of olive oil.
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📖 Recipe
Paolo’s Italian Pesto
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 6 cups fresh basil leaves¹
- 1/3 cup pine nuts²
- 1/3 small garlic clove yes, it's a small amount
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil³
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or table salt⁴
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Pecorino cheese⁵
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese⁶
Instructions
- Rinse basil and soak in water for 10-15 minutes⁷
- Blend base ingredients: Add pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil to food processor or blender⁸. Process until nuts are finely chopped and mixture is creamy. Then add the salt and process until mixed through.
- Add basil leaves (shake off excess water or squeeze gently) and pulse until smooth and bright green. Add water by the teaspoon if needed to help blending.
- Finish: Add both cheeses and pulse until just combined.