18 Pesto Recipes That You're Going To Love (2024)

FAQs

How long does homemade pesto last in the refrigerator? ›

Pesto will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you've stored it in the freezer, it will last for 6 months. When you're ready to use frozen pesto, thaw it overnight in the fridge or place the container of pesto in a bowl of warm water for a quicker thawing time.

Add a pinch of salt if the basil tastes too bitter or the pesto needs more zing. Add more Parmesan if you'd like a creamier/cheesier pesto. If desired, you can thin out the pesto with more olive oil.

Traditional pesto is a blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, extra-virgin olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. With a food processor, it comes together in just a few steps: Pulse the nuts, lemon juice, and garlic in the food processor until they're finely chopped.

FAQ: How Long Does Homemade Pesto Last? You can store this basil pesto in a jar or sealable container, then tightly seal and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2–3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Refrigerated pesto has a shorter best-eaten-by date, and can last up to a week in the fridge once it's open, though sometimes it only lasts a few days. Unrefrigerated pesto lasts longer, and can survive for one to two weeks after you open it — however, it should go into the fridge once you pop open the container.

Acid in the form of vinegar or citrus juices can make a pesto taste less bitter and could even enhance the flavour of the sauce at the same time. In low concentrations, salt can be used to suppress bitterness, which is why people have been adding tiny amounts to coffee for decades. Always go easy to start with.

Its scarcity, plus the fact that the plants are picked roots, soil, and all to ensure that only juvenile leaves make it into pesto, makes it extraordinarily expensive and something that only premium, artisan pesto makers can justify using.

Add nuts, garlic, zest of 1 lemon and salt to a food processor and pulse into a fairly smooth paste. Add cheese to nut paste and add about 3 tablespoons EVOO; process until smooth. Pulse process basil into sauce until fairly smooth, adding juice of 1 lemon and remaining EVOO.

The ice will shock the herbs and prevent them from browning. You can do this with any type of pesto with other herbs and greens such as parsley, mint or arugula.

Pine nuts are classically used in pesto and toasting them before you add them allows their flavor to shine. Looking for a great recipe? Try adding them to Food Network Kitchen's Basil Pesto recipe.

What can I use instead of pine nuts in pesto? ›

Almonds make an excellent pine nut substitute with their delicate, sweet–bitter taste and crunchy texture. Replace the pine nuts in your pesto recipe with the same amount of almonds. If you want to freshen things up and go for a different taste, try a mint–almond pesto made with lemon juice.

You can freeze pesto in larger amounts (1/2 to 1 cup) that can be tossed with pasta for a quick dinner, as well as smaller amounts (1 to 2 tablespoons) that can be added to other dishes for a burst of basil pesto summer flavor when the weather turns less warm and sunny.

Once opened, a jar of pesto lasts in the fridge for three days without any dramatic loss of quality. It will be perfectly safe for another two days, but leave it any longer, and its quality will decline to the point that it will no longer be enjoyable to eat.

This may seem like a short time window, but it helps ensure that you enjoy the highest-quality pesto. While the sauce is generally okay to eat up to two weeks after opening and refrigerating, you may notice a significant drop in its flavor and texture after that three-day mark.

Once you remove the lid, however, the sauce starts to expire quickly. In fact, it's possible for store-bought pesto to go bad after just three days, and it is guaranteed that it won't be any good once it gets past the two week mark.

Pour or spoon the pesto into the ice cube tray and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tops of each of the cubes. Freeze for a few hours until solid. Remove the frozen pesto cubes from the tray and add them to a large plastic food storage bag and label with the contents and date.