How to Make Pesto: Easy Tips + Recipes (2024)

Freshly blended pesto packs a serious punch of flavor. It’s easily customizable, and it’s a great way to use up an abundance of fresh greens or herbs. Today, Chef Joe Milenkovic of Chattanooga, TN eatery Easy Bistro is sharing his essential tips for making a perfect pesto, plus a few delicious recipes — including a base ingredient list you can always work from, using what’s in season and in your kitchen!

Seeing Green

You can use anything green for pesto! Really. Any variety of kale, root vegetable tops (beet greens, turnip tops, radish tops), broccoli, broccolini, or any combination of soft herbs like basil, mint, and parsley.

Other Ingredients

• Nuts + Seeds: You can use any combination of nuts/seeds you’d like (i.e., sunflower seeds, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews).
• Cheese: I almost always use Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano. You can also add ricotta for a creamier version.
• Garlic: A little bit of raw garlic is always nice!
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I also like to add a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), a little bit of cold water to keep it emulsified, and lemon zest or juice to keep things bright.

Chef Joe’s Pesto-Making Tips

• A Vitamix or other blender works best, in my opinion (who has time for a mortar and pestle?).
• An ice bath or cold water helps keep the color vibrant. Once the pesto is made, put it in an airtight container and submerge it in an ice bath until completely cool.
• Prepare the pesto one day in advance, at most! Day-of pesto is always best.
• Adding more or less of any ingredient is always based on preference, but I believe a great pesto is harmonious in flavor and should not be dominated by cheese or nuts/seeds.
• Always use extra virgin olive oil.
• Always use Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or other quality-controlled Italian aged cheese. (I never use Parmesan cheese. It’s like using off-brand Coca-Cola — never quite as good.)
• Use more or less water, depending on whether you want a chunkier or more spreadable pesto.
• Have fun and use what’s around and fresh — this is the true Italian way!

The Perfect Base Recipe

According to Chef Joe, these are the ideal proportions for a pesto recipe. From here, you can make it your own with your favorite greens, herbs, nuts, and seeds!

1 cup greens/herbs (can be blanched or raw depending on the green/herb)
2 tablespoons cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano)
2 tablespoons nuts/seeds
1 lemon zest/ juice
1/3 cup evoo
1/3 cup water
1 clove raw garlic, microplaned
Salt to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

These are a few of Chef Joe’s favorite complete pesto recipes:

And a few of our favorite ways to use fresh pesto:

Charcuterie Board Pasta Salad
Summer Tomatoes with Burrata and Pesto
Easy Whipped Feta with Pesto

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