Not to brag, but this creamy pesto sauce recipe is one of the best recipes I’ve ever created. It’s a recipe with tons of 5-star reviews, and I receive emails from people after they make it. They can’t believe it stays green for days, feels super silky smooth, and remains creamy without any cream added.
But this recipe perfection didn’t come about quickly. Basil pesto is one of the first dishes I made when I started cooking as a teenager. And, while working in various restaurant kitchens and living in Italy, I have seen it made all the ways.
Even so, creamy basil pesto sauce was one of those dishes that I could never quite make as delicious as in restaurants. For example, at Da Laura in the small Ligurian village of San Fruttuoso, the lasagnette al pesto is amazing. It has classic basil pesto sauces that are so smooth they look like paint.
I have seen it made carefully by hand in a mortar and pestle. I have also seen it made with questionable additions like lemon or cream. As a trained recipe developer, I kept going until I found perfection. Now that I help people plan trips to Liguria, the home of basil pesto, I share this recipe so they can get a taste of the region before they travel there!
Basil Pesto Origin
Traditional basil pesto, also known as pesto alla Genovese, comes from Genoa in the Liguria region of Italy. It has been made there for centuries, and the main ingredients are fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.
We discussed all things classic basil pesto in our article “What Is Pesto Sauce?” We cover its traditions, key local ingredients, and where to find it, like the renowned spots Il Genovese or the more modern Strakkino.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Basil Pesto
Creamy basil pesto adds fresh flavors to your favorite pasta dishes, sandwiches, and more. You can toss it with mandilli pasta, use it with a Caprese salad, serve it with kababs, put it in a panini, use it in a twist on Chicken Parm, on the traditional Focaccia di Recco, and so much more.
This creamy basil pesto takes that tradition and makes it better. It blends the ingredients like nut butter for a super smooth sauce. Soaking the basil before blending enhances the vibrant green color and creates a velvety consistency.
Creamy Basil Pesto Recipe Ingredients
This creamy basil pesto needs only a few simple ingredients. It gives a bright, fresh taste that makes meals better. Plus, it stores well in the fridge, or you can freeze it in ice cube trays and pop out “pesto ice cubes” when needed!
That means you can make a batch ahead of time and enjoy it throughout the week. Here are the key ingredients to make this dish:
- Fresh basil leaves – The base of classic creamy pesto sauce, providing a fragrant and slightly peppery flavor.
- Pine nuts – Adds a buttery richness and smooth texture. Look for ones grown in Italy and avoid the more bitter ones from China.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Enhances the creamy consistency while bringing depth and richness. Use a high-quality peppery olive oil, preferably from Liguria!
- Garlic – Gives the pesto a bold, slightly spicy kick.
- Kosher salt – Enhances all the flavors and balances the dish.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – Contributes a nutty, salty depth to the sauce.
- Pecorino Romano cheese – Adds a sharper, more intense cheese flavor for balance.
Tips To Make Creamy Basil Pesto
I should clarify that this creamy pesto sauce is not made using a traditional method. The ingredients in this creamy pesto sauce? Heck, yes, they’re traditional.
But the method is quite different. It changes the order in which you use the ingredients, and it makes a huge difference.
I first heard of this technique when chef Danny Bowien used it to win the world pesto championship in 2008. This is not Chef Bowien’s recipe, but it is a great version, and it is one of the most popular recipes from my cookbook, Keys To The Kitchen.
The traditional way to make pesto sauce is in a mortar and pestle, and it’s a technique worth trying at least once. Here, we’re making a creamy pesto sauce more akin to the silky, smooth pesto sauces in high-end restaurants.
How to Make This Creamy Basil Pesto Recipe
- Soak the basil – Place fresh basil leaves in cold water and let them sit for at least 5 minutes to reduce any bitterness (and the bit of water on the leaves will help the sauce get creamy)!
- Blend the base – In a food processor or blender, combine the pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and salt. Blend until very smooth, resembling the consistency of almond butter. You’re essentially making a pine nut butter and that will be more stable as you add in the other ingredients.
- Add the basil – Drain the soaked basil (leaving some water on the leaves), then pulse with the blended mixture until just combined. The pesto should be light green.
- Add the cheese – Mix in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. Pulse a few times until everything is well combined.
- Adjust consistency – If the pesto is too thick, add a spoonful or two of cold water and pulse again until smooth.
NOTE: We want to remind you that you never want to heat pesto. Doing so will make the sauce brown and ruin all its delicate flavor. As you can see from our pesto pasta recipes like this Pasta With Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans, the key is to have warm pasta and then add the pesto to it off the heat.
What to Serve With This
This creamy basil pesto recipe is very versatile. Traditionally, it’s used in dishes like this Pasta With Pesto Potatoes and Green Beans Recipe or for coating homemade pasta like mandilli di seta.
Otherwise, spread it on sandwiches or use it as a dip for fresh vegetables. It also works well on grilled chicken and roasted vegetables or as a drizzle over pizza. For a lighter option, mix it into a grain bowl or use it as a dressing for a Caprese salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
You could go in a lot of directions and shapes of pasta but I'm a fan of the three main ways you see pesto served in Liguria (aka ground zero for classic basil pesto).
Those classic pasta shapes are the spiraled trofie pasta, with the long trenette noodles, or with ultra-thin lasagna sheets (like they do at Da Laura) which are sometimes called mandilli di seta or silk handkerchiefs (love that name)!
There's something about pesto served coating mandilli di seta (think sheets of pasta that are generally half the thickness of traditional lasagna sheets) that is totally luxurious. After the mandilli are coated in the pesto they're then folded over on themselves so they look like a pile of green handkerchiefs when you serve them.
A classic pesto sauce will not have cream but will be have cream consistency. The key is to create a lovely emulsification of oil and nuts that you can then add in the other ingredients. I do that by using a trick I learned from a chef. Essentially you grind the pine nuts and oil into a nut butter and then add the other ingredients. It's the opposite of how you would do it if you were making a traditional pesto in a mortar and pesto; however, the result is sublime!
The most important thing is that you never ever heat a homemade classic pesto sauce. Yes, there are plenty of recipes that call for doing this (probably even a few I wrote earlier on in my recipe developing life) but that just ends up totally working all the flavors in the delicate sauce.
Use the technique below for coating pasta (as in mixing it together in the cooking pan off the heat) and you'll be rewarded with a creamy pesto sauce that stays bright green all the way to the table!
Classic Italian Recipes
Looking for other classic Italian recipes? Here are a few of our readers’ favorites from the region of Liguria (just like this creamy pesto sauce is)!
Liguria Travel Guide
Are you considering traveling to Genoa and the Liguria region in real life? Check out our free Liguria Travel Guide for our best travel tips, recipes, and articles.
Get A Personalized Travel Itinerary
Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Creamy Pesto Sauce:
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves no thick stems or buds (you'll need about 4 ounces of basil on the stems to get this about of leaves)
- 3/4 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1 pinch kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese about 3 ounces
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese about 1 1/2 ounces
Instructions
Make The Creamy Pesto Sauce:
- Place basil in cold water and set aside to soak briefly, at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine nuts, oil, garlic and salt in food processor or blender (the Vitamix is awesome for this) and process until mixture is very smooth and creamy (it should look like a loose peanut or almond butter).
- Drain soaked basil, shake off water but don’t pat dry (you want some of that water). Tear and place in food processor and process until just evenly combined and mixture is light green, about 5 pulses. Add cheese and just pulse until just combined, about 5 pulses more.
- If mixture is too thick, add a few spoonfuls of cold water and pulse again. Remove from carafe and taste. Add more salt, as desired, then go ahead and use the pesto.Makes 2 cups pesto (enough for 2 to 3 pounds of pasta)
