Delicious Recipes

Basil Pesto is such a versatile sauce. It’s fantastic tossed with any pasta or used as a spread on sandwiches. It’s the secret ingredient in Chicken Pesto Pasta or these Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups.

Homemade pesto is surprisingly easy and inexpensive to make and fresh tastes so much better than storebought. We keep a steady supply of this fantastic sauce in the fridge and freezer since it stores really well.

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Basil Pesto Recipe

Try this homemade basil pesto recipe, you’ll never want the store-bought stuff again! Freshly made sauce is so vibrant in color and flavor. The lemon juice here keeps the color beautiful and adds fresh flavor without needing too much salt.

All you need is a handful of simple ingredients, a food processor, and a few minutes of spare time to get the best pesto sauce you’ve ever had!

What Is Pesto Sauce?

I’m sure you’ve seen pesto placed in the menus of any Italian restaurant or trendy pizza shop you’ve been to, but what really is it? Pesto is basically a bright green sauce that is made from crushing together basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. It’s a sauce that originated in Italy, with the term pesto deriving from an Italian verb “pestare” which means “to crush”. It was originally made using a Mortar and Pestle.

Ingredients for Basil Pesto:

Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are things you probably already have on hand. Just pick up some fresh basil leaves the day you want to make the sauce.

• Fresh basil leaves


• Shredded Parmesan cheese


• Extra virgin olive oil


• Pine nuts (or walnuts)


• Garlic Cloves


• Lemon juice


• Salt & Pepper

Can I substitute the Pine Nuts?

While traditional pesto sauce is made with pine nuts, you can certainly replace the pine nuts with a less expensive nut such as walnuts, or blanched almonds.

What Type of Basil Should I Use?

There are many varieties of basil. A few of the most popular include, Italian large leaf, sweet basil, Thai, and lemon.

Any of these can be used for pesto but each has a slightly different flavor profile. For a traditional basil pesto flavor, you’ll want to use the Italian large leaf. It’s the basil leaf that most people typically think of as “normal” basil. For a sweeter pesto use the sweet basil leaves. For a slight spicy kick, try the Thai, and if you like a little hint of lemon, definitely try lemon basil.

Most grocery stores will only sell one type of basil, so if you want to try the less common types, check your local farmers market or specialty produce shop.

How to Make Basil Pesto Recipe:

1. Gently rinse fresh basil leaves and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.

2. Place all of your ingredients to a food processor or a high powered blender and process until smooth.

Pro Tip: After blending the pesto, add more salt to taste if desired. Keep in mind that store-bought pesto sauces can be significantly saltier since they are compensating for freshness. Salt also preserves the sauce for a longer shelf life.

What Does Basil Pesto Go With?

Basil pesto is an easy and healthy summer sauce that adds incredible flavor to a variety of dishes. Of course, there are the obvious uses for basil pesto, like mixing it in with your favorite pasta dish, or as the base for a pizza, but there’s so much more you can do with it!

• Spread on to a sandwich for an elevated lunch


• Thin it down with oil or vinegar and make a basil pesto salad dressing


• Marinate or toss with your veggies instead of the typical oil and parmesan


• Use as a sauce topping for meat: chicken, salmon, pork tenderloin, and of course beef steaks.

More Homemade Sauce and Dressing Recipes

The flavors and ingredients of pesto and these homemade condiment recipes are way better than storebought. Once you make your own homemade dressings and sauces, it will spoil you forever.

• Tzatziki Sauce Recipe –  a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros and as a raw veggie dip


• Tartar Sauce Recipe – even better than store-bought tartar sauce and super simple to make


• Horseradish Sauce Recipe – the best Steakhouse quality horseradish we’ve tried


• Avocado Ranch Dressing – You will flip over this twist on the traditional ranch dressing and it doubles as a dip


• Caesar Dressing – I love using this amazing recipe as both a dressing and a marinade for chicken

Basil Pesto Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Pesto Sauce is so easy to make and homemade pesto tastes way better than storebought. This Basil Pesto recipe is fantastic with pasta or on sandwiches.

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level:

Easy

Cost to Make:

$4-$5 (varies by season)

Keyword:

pesto recipe

Calories: 205 kcal

Servings: 8 people (makes 1 1/2 cups pesto)

1. 
   

   Wash and dry the basil leaves.

   
   


2. 
   

   Place basil into a food processor, add cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.

   
   


3. 
   

   Season with more salt to taste if desired.

   
   

Nutrition Facts

Basil Pesto Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 205
Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 21g
32%

Saturated Fat 4g
20%

Cholesterol 8mg
3%

Sodium 290mg
12%

Potassium 88mg
3%

Total Carbohydrates 2g
1%

Dietary Fiber 1g
4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 3g
6%

Vitamin A
7.5%

Vitamin C
5.2%

Calcium
11.7%

Iron
4.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Craving some creamy, yummy Nutella? No need to go to the grocery store, as this recipe will show you how to make the easiest 5-minute healthy homemade Nutella! Yum!

When thinking of something sweet, what could be the ultimate, easiest, most accessible dessert that comes into your mind? A small hint: it starts with “Nut” and ends with “ella”. But not just any kind of Nutella, but a much healthier, gluten-free and plant-based version! 🙂

It’s that time again when we feel like we would like to grab a spoon and a jar with spreadable goodness and just stuff our faces, but then guilt comes into the scene. Oh, I know, I’ve been there. If you have a sweet tooth (I know you do!) then this recipe would be the one thing I would ask you to make from this entire blog. And guess what? It’s vegan!

Before what was going to be known as the final form of this addictive treat born in Pietro Ferrero’s kitchen in the 1960s, the marriage between chocolate and hazelnuts dates all the way back to the 1800s, Italy, in the awful times of chocolate crisis. Can you imagine a world without chocolate? 🙁

At the time, Napoleonic France put a restraint over the European harbors through something called the “Continental Blockade”, a strategy which blocked French allies and neutral countries from trading with the British. And now comes the tragedy: following this, there was a huge strain on cocoa supplies. because the British goods had a restriction of entering the European harbors.

But now enter the heroes in action, because as a result, the Italian chocolatiers put their hand to extend what little resources of cocoa they had left and, to extend it, they used hazelnuts, which at the time it was widely available in the region. Hurray! 🙂

Also, fun fact: for many years, Italian shops would offer children who came in a slice of bread with a free smear of Nutella to put on it. Sounds just like a dream, am I right?

Because this vegan Nutella is homemade, so you know exactly what’s getting inside this jar and you can be sure that it won’t be loaded with lots of sugar and processed artificial ingredients.

If I caught your attention and you want an easy and healthy alternative to the Nutella you usually buy in the store, this vegan homemade Nutella recipe will be the ultimate star in your pantry! Seriously though, it’s loaded with creamy chocolatey goodness and hazelnut flavor and it is sooo addictive!

This recipe for vegan homemade Nutella would be best served… however you want because it’s that good! You can have it on pancakes, toasted bread, on fruits, it’s really up to you!

If you google ‘how to eat Nutella’, at least 50 different ways on how you could serve it will pop up on your screen. I know, this will only make your decision harder! But truth be told, whenever I make this recipe I just spread it on some crunchy bread and next thing you know, the jar is already empty!

I can assure you that this homemade Nutella version has only natural and clean ingredients, unlike the store-bought one which is high in calories, sugar, fat and is full of palm oils and other components that I won’t recommend you putting in your body.

For this recipe, you are going to need just some simple ingredients and a very good and precise blender, as you don’t want to end up with a gritty and chunky chocolate-hazelnut spread and a broken heart.

The blender will help you obtain that swirly, decadent, smooth texture that takes us back to the dessert that you loved so much as a kid! 

But in order to achieve that amazing chocolatey and nutty taste, that is by no means different from the original, you will need some good quality organic dark chocolate. The better the ingredients, the greater the taste, of course!

Along with this, you will also need a handful of raw hazelnuts – it’s so easy to pop them into the oven and achieve that amazing taste! Not to mention it’s healthier and cheaper this way! Just roast them for about 10 minutes or until the skins have darkened or have started to peel away from the nut.

To remove the skin, transfer the hazelnuts on a clean kitchen towel and gently use it to rub them together until the skins come off. It’s so easy and also pretty satisfying!

Now, all you need to do it to pop all the ingredients in the blender and voilà! You’re all done! Pour your masterpiece into a jar and it’s good to be served right away! Enjoy!

These simple roasted summer vegetables are seasoned with fresh tarragon, thyme, and lemon juice. They make an excellent vegan side dish that can complete any dinner.

I’m swimming in tarragon over here! This season is my first try at growing this herb, and I’m pleased to see that it’s doing so well in our backyard.

Even though I have a ton of tarragon, I don’t know that many ways to use it. Which, for me, is sort of a fun situation. Getting to experiment with a lesser known herb both challenges and excites me.

But I haven’t gone too crazy with tarragon just yet. I stuck with what I know best–roasted veggies–and went from there.

After all, this is one of the best times of year for vegetables, in terms of variety and freshness! So forgive me for trying to fit as many summer veggies as possible into one dish.

In this recipe, I added tarragon (plus a little thyme too) to the veggies before they went in the oven as well as after they were roasted to ensure that the slightly sweet and subtle licorice flavor of the herb came out.

(PS – if you’ve never had tarragon, that’s what it tastes like! ^)

If you like tarragon, I encourage you to add as much as you want, because it’s a fantastic complement to roasted summer vegetables!

Tips for Making Perfect Roasted Summer Vegetables

1. Don’t skimp on the oil. But also don’t add too much. You want to coat the veggies in enough oil so that they crisp up and don’t dry out, but you don’t want them to be sitting in a pool of oil on the baking sheet. This “perfect” amount usually equates to about two tablespoons of oil (olive or avocado) per sheet.
2. Don’t overcrowd the pan. I was able to fit all of the veggies on one large baking sheet, but if your pan looks too crowded, use two baking sheets. Make sure the veggies don’t overlap to promote even cooking.
3. Flip the veggies halfway through the cooking time. This is always easier said than done. But try to flip the majority of the veggies over, using a spatula, in the middle of their cooking time.

What to Serve with Roasted Summer Vegetables

Roasted veggies are a great go-to side dish. They go with grilled fish or chicken, hamburgers, or steaks. You can also serve them in a grain bowl with brown rice or quinoa and beans.

Be sure to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before enjoying them, as this really brings out their flavor!

If you make this recipe, be sure to rate and review it in the comments below, and don’t forget to tag @its_a_vegworld_afterall on Instagram! Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.

If you have extra tarragon on hand, check out my Shaved Asparagus Salad with Mint Tarragon Dressing. And if you’re looking for more summer vegetable dishes, you might like:

Tarragon Roasted Summer Vegetables

A simple and flavorful roasted veggie side dish, using fresh tarragon, thyme, and lemon.

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini washed, ends trimmed, and sliced into circles
• 1 bell pepper seeds and top removed, sliced into strips
• 2 cups grape tomatoes leave whole
• 2 cups green beans ends trimmed
• 2 ears corn husk removed, kernels sliced off the cob
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped; divided
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line one large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine the vegetables in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the tarragon, and thyme. Pour over the vegetables and mix until coated.

3. Transfer to the lined baking sheet(s) and spread out evenly. Make sure they don't overlap. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the veggies are browned and cooked to your liking.

5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the last tbsp of tarragon, and some more salt and pepper. Transfer to plates and serve with fresh lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Remember to pin these delicious Tarragon Roasted Summer Vegetables now to make later!

Have a great week!

Lizzie