5-Minute Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe - The Anthony Kitchen (2024)

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You can't get pesto this good from a jar...unless you put it there yourself, that is. Store-bought renditions don't hold a candle to this real-deal (seriously easy) Creamy Pesto Sauce! It's rich, velvety smooth and packed with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and tons of flavor. Savory notes are balanced and brightened with freshly squeezed lemon juice for a sauce that's simply over-the-top delicious!

Requiring only 6 ingredients and 5 minutes to make, you can count on this homemade pesto sauce to be your go-to, weeknight dinner secret weapon!

It'll amp just about any dinner in a flash! Serve it over pasta or chicken, use it as a pizza sauce, or as a spread across a hunky slice of Homemade Garlic Bread! Can't resist a good pesto-sauced pasta? Try this quick and easy Pesto Chicken Pasta next!

WHAT IS PESTO?

Pesto is an Italian-born sauce that can be made using either a mortar and pestle or (a much more modern approach) in a food processor.

It is made up mostly of basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. Garlic is also a key ingredient. Once all of the aforementioned ingredients have been finely crushed, oil is then emulsified into the mixture, and you have [voila] basil pesto!

MORE ITALIAN SAUCES TO TRY:

Alfredo Sauce
Marinara Sauce
Pomodoro Sauce
Gorgonzola Sauce

TYPES OF PESTO

There are many different types of pestos. For example, the basil can be replaced with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or even arugula. The nuts are also interchangeable, and pine nuts could be swapped out for another oily nut like pecans or walnuts.

Some pestos are smoother and creamier than others (hence this extra Creamy Pesto Sauce made in a food processor), some are more rugged in texture, some are more acidic, and the list goes on!

USES FOR PESTO

It can be used as a sauce for warm pasta dishes or cold pasta salads, a spread for sandwiches, a topper for grilled meats, or even a dip for bread!

WHAT MAKES A PESTO CREAMY?

You can make a Creamy Basil Pesto without the use of any heavy cream at all. Trust -- there is plenty of fat in the Parmesan Cheese and the pine nuts to go around. So! If you want your pesto extra creamy, just add more cheese and extra pine nuts. That is precisely what we did for this recipe, and you'll find it positively delicious.

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Add Ingredients To the Food Processor - Add basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a paddle attachment.
Process To a Paste- Process until everything in the bowl is very finely minced and appears paste-like in texture.
Add Oil - With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the oil through the food processor's feed tube. Process the mix again until the pesto is smooth and well-combined.

INGREDIENTS

As mentioned above, to make a creamy Basil Pesto Sauce, cream really isn't necessary at all. Pine nuts and Parmesan will give you all the creamy vibes you so desire!

Here's what you'll need to make it:

Fresh Basil
Garlic
Pine Nuts
Parmesan Cheese
Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper
Avocado or Olive Oil

A CASE FOR AVOCADO OIL

Wait...what?Avocado oil? But, why?

Unfortunately, good olive oil isn't necessarily hard to come by, but it can be pret-ty pricey. If you've ever made pesto or a salad dressing from scratch and wondered why it has a bitter aftertaste (wamp, wamp, wamp), it's probably your olive oil. And, the sad thing is, you can pay a decent amount of money and get a not-so-decent tasting oil in return.

Now, that being said, if you have an olive oil brand that you love, by all means, use it! It's a classic in pesto! If you have yet to find the right one, I suggest you use avocado oil instead.

WHICH BASIL TO USE FOR CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

There are multiple varieties of basil out there. Sweet basil, Thai basil, and even lemon or lime basil. The one you want for this Creamy Pesto Sauce is sweet basil, more commonly known as Genovese basil.

This is the one you're most likely to find at the grocery store, with rounded, cup-shaped leaves. It is herbaceous and sweet, with mild peppery notes. You might notice a touch of licorice in the Genovese variety, although there won't be nearly as much licorice flavor as the Thai basil boasts.

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5 from 3 votes

Creamy Pesto Sauce

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

FAQs

How do you thicken creamy pesto sauce? ›

The best way to thicken pesto sauce or pasta sauce is by making a slurry of cornstarch and water. Simply mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoon of milk or water and pour it into the sauce. This will thicken the sauce and will make it creamy.

How to make pesto sauce better? ›

Start with buying the freshest ingredients you can find. The best tip I've learned so far when making Pesto ala Genovese is to ditch the blender and food processor and make it by hand, using a mortar and pestle. It doesn't take very long, and the texture and flavor are superior.

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How do you make Bobby Flay pesto? ›

directions

Combine the sage, parsley, garlic, coriander seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pine nuts in a food processor or blender and process until coarsely chopped.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until emulsified.
Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and process 3 to 4 seconds longer.

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How to make pesto Rachael Ray? ›

Drain and dry the basil in a salad spinner or on clean kitchen towels. Place the EVOO in the food processor and add the basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino-Romano, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic and some salt and pepper. Pulse process into a fine sauce. Store in an airtight container.

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Why is my creamy sauce watery? ›

You can make a cream sauce thicker by reducing it on the stovetop. If reducing the sauce doesn't work, or if you're in a rush, you can use a thickener to bulk up your sauce. Flour, butter, eggs, and cornstarch are simple ingredients that can make your cream sauce thicker.

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Why is my pesto so watery? ›

Maybe you add a tad too much cooking water. If we are talking pesto Genovese (that green goo), it is made with just olive oil, pine nuts, parmigiano Reggiano, fresh garlic and fresh basil. You beat in in your mortar util it is a paste and add oil until it like a mayo in thickness.

Why does my homemade pesto taste bad? ›

The most common reason for pesto tasting bitter is that the olive oil is past its best and has started to turn rancid. If the pesto has been made in a food processor or blender, there's also the possibility that it has turned bitter from the crude, sheering action of the blades.

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What makes pesto taste so good? ›

Traditional pesto is a thick, green sauce that tastes bright and herby from the basil, and salty and rich from the cheeses and pine nuts. It should be garlicky, with pleasant grassiness from good quality olive oil.

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Do you heat pesto before adding to pasta? ›

PESTO SHOULD NEVER BE “COOKED”. If you cook Pesto Sauce, you change the make up of the fresh basil and cause it to turn darker in color. It is best to warm it up and use it at room temperature. If it needs to be thinned out, you can do so by adding a little water, chicken stock, cream or white wine.

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What's the difference between pesto and alfredo sauce? ›

Pesto sauce is constructed using parmesan cheese, salt, basil, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts. It has a pretty high sodium content unless you make it from scratch, but both versions have an added protein boost. Alfredo sauce is based on cream and cheese as its two primary ingredients.

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What is the recipe formula for pesto? ›

The basic ratio is 1:2:2:8 (1 part nuts, 2 parts oil, 2 parts grating cheese, 8 parts leaves or herbs), plus garlic, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

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Why does pesto turn dark? ›

If, on the other hand, the jar has been opened and left in a fridge for a day or two, it's most likely that the change in colour is simply a result of oxidation.

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Why is pesto so expensive? ›

Italian pine nuts are considered the finest in the world and are therefore eye-wateringly expensive. To make cost savings, many big producers source their pine nuts from China. Not a big issue, you might think, but these pine nuts are notorious for leaving a metallic aftertaste for some people, and that can last weeks.

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What thickens pesto? ›

If the pesto remains too thin, one can mix in a small amount of starch or use pasta water to achieve the desired thickness. The starchy water adds thickness without altering the flavor significantly. Add a tablespoon of pasta water and mix well; repeat if necessary until desired thickness is reached.

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How do you thicken pesto sauce without cornstarch? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

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How do you thicken a sauce that's too watery? ›

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

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How do you thicken cream sauce without flour? ›

Add equal parts of cornstarch and cool water to thicken the sauce. Add 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of water and 1 tbsp (7.5 g) of cornstarch into your sauce mixture, stirring them together thoroughly.