Why We Love Creamy Pesto Sauce
Bright and zesty pesto tastes just like summer. It is packed with garden-fresh basil, a hint of lemon, and lots of garlic. There is no real cooking necessary, so it’s perfect for preparing on a hot day when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. You can even make a large batch to keep in the fridge and enjoy for several days. While our family is a big fan of classic basil pesto, I wanted to create a richer sauce to elevate all of that herb-y, garlic-y goodness. This Creamy Pesto Sauce recipe features the best, bold pesto flavors we love, plus a smooth, crave-able creaminess that will make any true pesto lover rejoice! There is no better way to describe this pesto sauce than as purely decadent. When we say “creamy” we mean that it is actually made with cool, delicious heavy cream. Combined with pine nuts, pecorino (or parmesan) cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil, you will love how wonderfully indulgent this sauce tastes – while also being tangy and light. The creamiest, dreamiest pesto sauce is delicious to enjoy in any number of ways, like chilled as a zippy dip or tossed with pasta and served warm or cold for a satisfying dinner or side dish. Try our Creamy Pesto Recipe and add some excitement to your favorite foods! If you’re a fan of pesto, you will also love our healthy pesto chicken kabobs or pesto tortellini pasta salad!
Ingredients You Need
The best basil pestos are made with simple, fresh ingredients. This recipe is a great way to use up that abundance of basil you have grown this summer and includes many items you likely already have. Here is everything needed to make our Creamy Basil Pesto Sauce:
Fresh Basil leaves – the main ingredient for this sauce Pine nuts – create a rich creamy texture in the recipe Pecorino cheese – or parmesan cheese Garlic cloves – you can add as much or as little as you would like Lemon zest – It brings a freshness to the recipe Extra-virgin olive oil – oil complements the pine nuts creaminess Heavy cream – A great combining ingredient Salt and pepper – Season to taste
Pro Tip: If you don’t enjoy or can’t find pine nuts, you can substitute walnuts, almonds, or pistachios in this easy pesto recipe for a similar mild flavor and great texture.
How To Make the Creamiest Homemade Basil Pesto
This easy pesto recipe takes only 5 minutes to make, with no cooking required! Set out a food processor. Place the basil leaves, pine nuts, pecorino cheese, garlic clove, and lemon zest in the food processor. Cover and pulse until finely ground. Then add in olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper. Pulse again until a smooth, thick pesto sauce is formed. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream. Pulse just a few times to incorporate the cream. Add an additional 1/4 cup of heavy cream if needed. However, if the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a little water. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Tips & Tricks
Only use the lemon zest! Lots of pesto recipes call for using lemon juice as well, but adding lemon juice can cause the cream in this recipe to separate. The lemon zest will still add lots of lemon flavor without all the acid! Use high-quality olive oil! For the best flavor, I recommend using a high-quality olive oil. This can really impact how this pesto tastes! If you or someone who is going to eat this pesto is allergic to nuts, you can add sunflower seeds instead! Or, simply skip the nuts entirely.
Recipe Variations
Greens: Basil is typically the green herb used in pesto sauce recipes, but you can also use other greens like the green leaves on carrot tops, or make a mint pesto by adding a mixture of pesto and mint! I also like to add spinach for some added nutrients. Cheese: If you are adding cheese to your creamy pesto, make sure to use a hard cheese like shredded or grated parmesan, pecorino Romano, or grana padano cheese! Cream: For a vegan creamy pesto sauce, omit the cheese and cream. Add full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream instead!
How To Enjoy This Creamy Pesto
You want to be sure that you don’t cook the pesto sauce directly, as this would greatly change the lovely, fresh flavor. Instead, either incorporate the raw pesto into cooked (and at least slightly cooled) dishes, serve chilled, or enjoy at room temperature. This vibrant pesto sauce is perfect for serving as a cold dip with seasonal veggies, crackers, pita and/or baguette slices. It is fantastic as a unique sandwich spread, on both cold cut sandwiches and hot paninis. You can also use this as a creamy salad dressing! Homemade pesto sauce would go great on a spinach or kale salad with bacon and croutons! It would be delicious on this harvest Cobb salad! We love topping homemade pizzas with creamy pesto for a fun, fancy pizza party night. And, of course, this creamy basil pesto sauce is excellent with many different types of pasta. Combine with a hearty pasta like fusilli or tortellini, serve warm, or chill and enjoy a refreshing pasta salad. We recommend you make our fabulous Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta with creamy pesto as an easy weeknight meal this summer!
Looking for More Easy and Fresh Summer Recipes?
Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe Panini Sandwich with Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe Creamy Chimichurri Sauce Recipe Avocado Stuffed Shells Recipe Italian Summer Pasta with Orange and Basil Recipe Wild Rice Salad with Blueberries and Herbs Recipe Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Quinoa and Pine Nuts Recipe Chicken Quinoa Bowls with Romesco Sauce Recipe Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Fontina Fondue Recipe
Check the printable recipe card below for the prep time, cook time, total time, and nutrition information. Make sure to share this recipe on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Share This Recipe With Friends!
