Homemade Healthy and Natural Pesto Sauce

A traditional Italian condiment, pesto sauce is bursting with some of the best flavors and nutrients that a Mediterranean diet has to offer. It’s easy to make, and requires no cooking. Use a food processor or blender, or enjoy them in a deconstructed version of pesto as in our eggplant artichoke pesto pasta salad recipe. 

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Here are the ingredients and what they add.

• Basil: adds vibrancy and the foundational flavor, as well as antioxidants and minerals.
• Olive oil: adds creamy texture and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
• Parmesan cheese: adds saltiness, creaminess, protein, and calcium.
• Pine nuts: add crunchiness and a nutty flavor, as well as healthy fats and fiber.
• Garlic: adds flavor and antioxidants like allicin.

Uses for Pesto Sauce

You can use pesto sauce for almost anything!

• Salad dressing on a basic green salad, pasta or egg salad, or stuffed eggs
• Sauce over roasted vegetables or baked chicken, tofu or fish
• Dip for raw vegetables, oven-baked “fried” chicken, a charcuterie board, or whole-grain pita chips
• Sauce on pizza, turkey burgers and veggie burgers, sandwiches and wraps
• For breakfast over scrambled eggs

Tips and Variations

Try these options.

• Walnuts instead of pine nuts
• Arugula, kale, or spinach leaves for half the basil
• Parsley, mint, or cilantro for half or all of the basil
• Lemon zest and juice for a citrusy zing
• With cooked pureed broccoli, peas, or beets
• Romano instead of Parmesan cheese
• 2 ounces of goat or feta cheese and 1 ounce of grated mozzarella cheese instead of Parmesan cheese
• Red pepper flakes for spicy heat

Recipe for Pesto Sauce

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh basil leaves, packed
• 3 ounces of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
• ½ cup (2 ounces) of pine nuts
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ⅓-½ cup of olive oil

Instructions: 

1. Pulse the basil and pine nuts in a food processor.
2. Add the garlic, cheese, and salt and pepper. Continue to pulse until the mixture is blended. Pulse more for a smoother consistency, or less for a chunkier consistency.
3. Gradually add ⅓ cup of olive oil while stirring. Add the remaining olive oil if needed for a thinner consistency. 
4. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition information per serving

Here’s the approximate nutrition information per serving (1/8 of the recipe): 220 calories; 22 grams of fat; 4 grams of saturated fat; 10 mg of cholesterol; 180 mg of sodium; 3 grams of carbohydrates; 1 gram of sugar; 1 gram of fiber; 5 grams of protein

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