Basil Pesto with Lemon
Basil Pesto with Lemon is the pesto recipe I’ve been using for years, and this post also has ideas for using basil pesto! And this perfect way to use your fresh basil is low-carb, Keto, and gluten-free.
PIN Basil Pesto with Lemon to make it later!
This recipe for Basil Pesto with Lemon makes me remember the first time I tasted basil pesto, which was simply called pesto back in the days before this type of uncooked Italian sauce started being made from many different herbs or vegetables! My first basil pesto experience was with a guy named Steve, who not only was a fantastic cook, but who had a food processor! This was years before I thought of purchasing such an exotic cooking tool, but now I can’t imagine living without it.
Since then, I’ve made many types of pesto, and I make basil pesto every year when the garden is bursting with midsummer basil. Many years ago I had the winning idea of adding some fresh-frozen lemon juice to my basil pesto, and I’d never make it again without the lemon, which brightens up the flavor and keeps the pesto bright green much longer in the fridge.
This ultra popular recipe for Basil Pesto with Lemon is my Friday Favorites post for this week, and a reminder to everyone who’s growing basil that it’s time to be trimming the basil and making pesto! And if you really have a lot of basil it’s time to be freezing fresh basil as well!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- fresh basil leaves
- fresh garlic
- extra virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- Pine Nuts (affiliate link)
- parmesan cheese
- fresh squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- sea salt
- black pepper
What is Pesto?
According to Wikipedia on Pesto, Pesto is a sauce made from garlic, pine nuts, salt, basil leaves, and hard cheese such as Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Cheese, all blended with olive oil. It originated in Italy where is used to be made with a big mortar and pestle, but now most pesto is made in a food processor. Traditional pesto always used pesto but now there are endless pesto recipe variations and many types of pesto sold in jars as well.
Tips for Freezing Basil Pesto with Lemon:
One of my favorite tricks when I make a lot of pesto is to freeze it in ice cube trays, get old ones from the thrift store! Then when the pesto is frozen, pop the cubes out of the trays, vacuum-pack it with a FoodSaver (affiliate link) into a plastic bag, and store in the freezer, and you’ve got fresh-tasting pesto to enjoy all winter! You can also just put the cubes of pesto into a Ziploc bag if you don’t have a FoodSaver, but it keeps better when it’s vacuum packed.
Basil Pesto Variations:
When you don’t have enough basil to make a whole batch of pesto or just want a variation you might like Spinach Basil Pesto or Kale and Basil Pesto. And if you live where you get garlic scapes in the spring, Garlic Scape Pesto with Chard is a run pesto variation.
Steps for Making Basil Pesto with Lemon:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- If you’re using basil from the garden, start by rinsing it and drying well. I use a salad spinner (affiliate link), but you can also rinse it in the sink and dry with paper towels.
- The 2 cups of basil used in this recipe means a 2 cup measuring cup packed with as much basil as you can fit into it.
- Put the basil and garlic cloves into the food processor (affiliate link) and process with steel blade until basil and garlic are chopped, adding 1/2 cup olive oil through the feed tube.
- Add pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, and fresh squeezed or fresh-frozen lemon juice and process until well blended, about 1-2 minutes more.
- Season the pesto to taste with a bit of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
- I store pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator, where it will last for more than a week, but it can also be frozen.
Ten Recipes for Using Basil Pesto:
- Without a doubt, the most popular pesto recipe on the blog is Easy Baked Pesto Chicken!
- Make Grilled Zucchini, then top it with a few tablespoons of basil pesto.
- Make amazing Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese.
- Use basil pesto in Pesto Spaghetti Squash.
- Try Asparagus with Basil Pesto.
- Use the pesto to replace basil puree in Basil Vinaigrette, then drizzle over fresh tomatoes.
- Make Baked Salmon with Pesto and Tomatoes.
- Use some of the basil pesto for Baked White Fish with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Basil Pesto Crust.
- Use rotisserie chicken to make Chicken Pesto Salad.
- Toss pesto and Parmesan with Roasted Summer Squash.
Want even more recipes using pesto?
If you want even more ideas for using pesto, check out Low-Carb and Keto Recipes with Pesto where you’ll find both summer and winter recipe ideas with pesto!
Basil Pesto with Lemon
Basil Pesto with Lemon is the perfect summer sauce and this freezes beautifully if you have an abundance of fresh basil.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed into measuring cup)
- 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (choose a a flavorful olive oil for pesto)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash basil leaves if needed and spin dry or dry with paper towels.
- Put basil leaves and sliced garlic into food processor that’s been fitted with the steel blade and process until basil and garlic is finely chopped, adding oil through the feed tube as you process. (You may need to take off the lid and scrape the sides with a rubber scraper if you have a hard time getting the basil all chopped.)
- Add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice to the chopped basil mixture and process 1-2 minutes more, until the pesto is mostly pureed and well mixed. (I like to keep it slightly chunky, but you can make it as finely pureed as you wish.)
- Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and pulse a few times more.
- Store basil pesto in the refrigerator in a glass jar, where it will keep for more than a week.
- Pesto can also be frozen. Many cooking experts recommend leaving out the cheese if you’re going to freeze it, and then adding the cheese when you thaw the pesto. (I’ve done it both ways and haven’t noticed that much difference.)
Notes
You will need a food processor to make this. There are many brands, but I love my Cuisinart Food Processor. (affiliate link)
Nutritional information is calculated based on a serving size of bout 2 tablespoons.
This recipe inspired by many basil pesto recipes through the years, with the idea of adding lemon juice something Kalyn has been committed to for quite a few years.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 164mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Basil Pesto is a perfect fresh herb sauce for low-carb or Keto Diets. Pesto is high in fat, but it’s generally used in fairly small amounts, which would make this suitable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Fresh Herbs or Sauces to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
My favorite recipe for Basil Pesto with Lemon was first posted in 2010! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.
93 Comments on “Basil Pesto with Lemon”
I picked basil from the garden today. I made 5 batches and froze it (with the cheese) it’s delicious. Thank you
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe! Thanks for taking time to let me know.
Spread it over toast…
I like the sound of that!
Made this tonight and loved it! The lemon juice makes it a bit different than regular pesto. Yum!
So glad you liked it! I really love the touch of lemon!
Can I substitute walnuts for pine nuts?
I haven’t made pesto with other types of nuts, but I’ve definitely heard of people doing it so I’m guessing you can use any kinds of nuts you like the flavor of!
thank you – nice to know you respond quickly
I try! On the blog the comments go to my e-mail so it’s much easier to keep up than it is on social media.
Kalyn, I’ve been using your pesto recipe for over a year. Yesterday we harvested what was left of our basil plant before pulling it out for winter. I had about 6 cups of leaves. I thought I might try another recipe. I belong to (pay for) ATK so I thought I’d try theirs. Made one batch. Tasted it. Threw it out. Made two more batches of yours. What was I thinking? Yours is perfect. The lemon juice (yes, I freeze it) is the perfect touch! Thank you!
How fun hearing that! So glad you have enjoyed the recipe. I am a bit jealous you still have basil this late!
Hi! This recipe looks great! I just picked a bunch of Lime Basil. What do you think of replacing lemon basil with the lime basil and using lime juice? I do use a lot of lime juice in chicken and fish recipes. I’ll probably use my Vitamix instead of my Cuisinart too. I’ve used both for pesto and get a better/cleaner mix with the Vitamix.
I haven’t ever tasted lime basil, and I didn’t use lemon basil, just lemon juice in the basil. But I love basil with lime and I bet it will be good!
I have been looking for the right pesto recipe and I am very glad I came across yours. All of your recipes have been winners in our house. Like you said my garden is overflowing with fresh basil.
So glad you have been enjoying the recipes. And having a garden that’s overflowing with basil is always so wonderful, hope you like this recipe too.
Hi Kalyn, do you have a weight for the basil leaves needed to make two cups? Thanks.
Sorry I have never weighed it, but it’s definitely two cups tightly packed basil.
Thank you.
My pesto turned out perfect! I did have to use my food processor, FYI, Ninja does not work. I took some of the fresh pesto and mixed it with some cooked chicken breast I had, Shredded Morel and Jack cheese, Spikes seasoning and a bit of pepper, and a tad of bread crumbs, but not sure those are necessary, and stuffed some giant portabella mushrooms I had (I did coat portabellas with olive oil first) baked at 425 for 20 minutes and they were simply fabulous. I got the idea from Kalyn’s Pesto Chicken!!! Thank you Kalyn!
So glad you had success with the pesto. And I love the sound of that recipe, very creative!
I’m overrun with Basil this year, so bought the ingredients to make this. Can I freeze it? Also, using a Ninja?
I am such a fan, I think I make more of your recipes then any others!
Aw, thanks Karen! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Pesto can definitely be frozen. I see a lot of sources who say don’t freeze it with the cheese added, but I’ve done it for years!
I’m not familiar with the Ninja, but if it’s more of a blender it may make the ingredients too finely pureed. I use a regular food processor.
You might also like this post on freezing fresh basil if you have a lot of basil. I love to use the frozen basil in soup, stew, and pasta sauce during the winter!
Hi Kathy,
I like the idea of combining kale with basil to make pesto. Fun hearing from someone in New Zealand!
Hi, Just been reading thru'. Now I know what I'm going to make for dinner on saturday night….having quests over. Baked chicken with pesto. Thanks.
I will grab a container of my pesto out of the freezer and add a 1/2 lemon juice and zest to it before I cook the chicken. My last seasons pesto recipe was made with 1/2 portion, open tender leaves of kale & 1/2 portion of basil leaves, regular hard cheese and cashew nuts & heaps of garlic. I make mountains of the gorgeous stuff each season and freeze it and it usually only comes out on special occasions. I freeze it with a float of oil on top. I'll try a batch this season with lemon added. Thanks for your great site. Kathy from New Zealand.
This is by far the best pesto I have ever made. YUM!!!! I can't stop eating it. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing. Made the chicken stuffed with pesto and it is Delicious. Thank you again for sharing these amazing recipies.
So glad you are enjoying it! And jealous that you already have enough basil to make pesto, that's months away here!
The only thing that could make this taste bitter is one of your ingredients, maybe the variety of basil you used? Garlic can get bitter if it's cooked, but that shouldn't be a problem here. I haven't had that happen; sorry it's happening for you.
Can you make this pesto in a blender?
I haven't made it in a blender but I think it might work if you chop the ingredients in small pieces and don't blend too long. I'd pulse a few times, then scrape the sides, then pulse again until it's all combined. If you try it I'd love to hear how it works.
Rebecca, thanks for sharing that for those who might need it!
Hi Kalyn,
I saw one of the comments mentioned a nut allergy. I have one as well. A friend made pesto for me once with sunflower seeds (unsalted!) and it turned out pretty good. It's a little less nutty/earthy than pine nuts (according to them, obviously I don't know the difference). It also isn't as coarse as pine nuts because the sunflower seeds aren't as hard as the nuts and will chop up finer.
I have a nut allergy as well and have made this with cashews and sliced almonds. I am totally going to try the sunflower seeds!
I love sunflower seeds so I bet I’d like it too. Glad it is working well for you.
thank's very good with the lemon juice!
Jacki, glad you're enjoying the blog.
I do think the Vitamix would blend the pesto much more finely than I did, so that might be it.
Hi Kalyn! I love the site, love your recipes!
I used your recipe to make basil pesto for the first time (from fresh basil from my first garden).
It was delicious, but it turned out to be a lot less than 1.5 cups. I used 2 packed cups of basil and the same amount of olive oil/cheese as the recipe.
I did use my Vitamix blender. I wonder if that affected the amount?
Robert, great tips. Sorry I have been a little slow to respond; I'm cleaning out my dad's house with my siblings for the next couple of days so I'm pretty distracted from the blog.
I just made this pesto but included the lemon zest from 1/2 lemon. It's FANTASTIC! For those who can grow their basil on the back porch in pots, the basil will go to seed at the end of the season and often re-seed itself. If you collect a little seed from your plants, and want to grow more, just throw the seed on top of the ground and it will come up, no digging necessary. Be sure to thin and pinch back to get lots of big leaves!
Judy, I'm loving the sound of your pesto variation, especially the Peperoncini juice! Great idea.
I love pesto .. didn't have pine nuts so I used chopped up roasted almonds and no lemon juice so I used a splash of peppercini juice .. all worked out great. Now I gotta get a food processor as my blender is just too much work 😉
Judy from Oregon
I've just made my first ever pesto, using fresh basil which I grew in my upside-down tomato planter. The basil has grown magnificently, but I can't say the same for the tomatoes. Oh well. I'll use your hint about floating some olive oil over the top, to preserve it.
Oh Michelle I am so jealous hearing about your basil. My whole garden is under six inches of snow right now! Glad you enjoyed the pesto!
Iv'e made pesto before but without the pine nuts so I feel like this is my first "real" pesto. I too have TONS of basil in my garden so this was perfect to use some of it up. It's delicious and I kept on eating it straight out of the blender! Used it on your pesto chicken…thanks!
Joshua, lucky you to get those pesto deliveries. I love the idea of freezing in small cups.
Our firefighters friend from Genoa bring a batch in the spring when they visit and taught us to freeze the rest in small throwaway plastic cups. All you need to do is peal off the cups and then thaw and eat.
I love pesto on toast (either toaster toast of bruschetta from the grill.)
What a great idea, love it (especially the idea of being able to break off just the amount you want!)
A trick that I do is to freeze the pesto with out the parmesan in quart size freezer bags. I flatten the bag before putting it in the freezer. All you have to do when you want some is break off the amount you need and put the rest back in the freezer. No smelly ice cube trays to deal with. Works great to get just the right amount for 1 person or many.
I'd definitely try adding more basil and pine nuts, and maybe a bit more cheese too.
Help! Need your thoughts. I mistakenly added lime juice (had fresh in the freezer, but forgot to label it) instead of lemon juice to the pesto recipe….any thoughts? I tasted it and it has a lot of citrus taste. Should I just add more basil and pine nuts? I don't want to throw it out as I did a double batch 🙁
Thanks for the recipes and thanks for your help!
Dawn
Love hearing I have inspired you to get a food processor, and that you found a good one for a reasonable price too! You will love it. Glad you liked the recipe.
HI, Just had to come back and leave my 2cents about your pesto recipe. I love it!…Short story, I didn't have a food processor,so I ordered one from Amazon,for $25. w/good reviews. It turned out to be a winner!…then I made the recipe acc.to your directions…I refrigerated it for a few days,and put it on my chicken w/ penne pasta..A WINNER! So good,a million thanks for such a good recipe. And now I'm also ready to chop up anything with this handy little mini processor. Thanks friend. rj
Connie, there is a French sauce called Pistou which is like pesto without the nuts or cheese. (I'm sure you could add cheese if you like.)
PJ, I'm a lemon freak, love lemon in everything too. Thanks for feedback on the photo!
i put lemon juice and lemon zest in everything, it brings such a nice fresh zesty tartness to a dish! love the first photo.
My husband is allergic to nuts of all kinds. Would pesto still taste good sans-nuts?
Thanks,
Connie
I think it adds a lot of flavor when you heat the pine nuts in a pan on mild heat until they start smelling lovely and turn light brown. It loosens up the oils. This enriches the pesto's flavor.
Anonymous, glad you are enjoying the blog. Hang in there with the diet; I promise it will work!
I remember the first time I made pesto linguine for my husband who commented, "What's this green crap?" but went back for seconds! If I had only one herb to grow, it would be basil (and he insists!) and like other commenters, I freeze it in icecube trays. I throw a couple cubes into a pot of veggie soup to really perk it up and use it as a base for pizza. Getting more ideas from your other readers & am looking forward to trying them!
Love your blog and while the weight is coming off sloooowly, it's wonderful to be eating so tastily especially on a phase 1. Thanks!
Maurice, have never tried that but it makes sense!
Christina, you're welcome! Glad you liked the ideas.
Thank you for the ideas! Those all look so great 🙂
Thanks Chriesi!
Came here for the first time and checked out many of your recipes….low glycemic food is good in many ways and i love experimenting with whole food too.
The basil pesto looks wonderful in the pic…… i use the pesto for many recipes too , but i rarely use pinenuts , almonds or walnuts or both are good for me..lemon will be great in pesto for sure.
I have basil and lemons both in my garden 🙂
That pesto looks very mouthwatering! Great post!
Jenny, have fun freezing your pesto!
Beth, most of my basil was started from seed too, although I always have to buy a few plants for early season basil!
Sangeeta, lucky you to have a garden with lemons! That would be my idea of heaven.
Kevin, I love the touch of lemon; makes a huge difference for me.
Robyn, I love pesto too; glad you liked it.
I have such a soft spot for pesto, and I LOVE this version of yours. Thanks for the ideas, too!
Robyn
Now is certainly the time for basil pesto! The lemon adds that extra kick of summery freshness to it.
This is my first year growing basil. I've tried keeping one of those grocery store plants alive..unsuccessfully. But I now have a wash tub full of basil that I started from seed. After reading your blog and all the posts, I do believe I can make a tasty pesto. In the morning it's off to get some olive oil, lemons, and a cheap ice cube tray. I'm so excited to have found all this wonderful info. Thanks for blogging.
Beth in Penna.
Do you know I haven't made pesto for a while, which is unusual for me. I din't get around to planting basil this year, what with the baby and all and have just been getting by on little pots of supermarket basil. I must make some this week. I will give it a go with the lemon.
I just love pesto! I grew my very own basil this year and had such a great time with my daughter picking out the leaves and making pesto. You just can't beat homemade pesto sauce. 🙂
Thanks for the tip on freezing it. I will try that this weekend.
Sharona, you're very welcome. Good for you with all that pesto!
I am so happy that my basil plants have been healthy this year producing an abundance of basil. I have clipped and made pesto to freeze twice already this year. Thanks for all the great pesto ideas.
Sharona May
Thanks Donna! You're always so sweet.
What's better than fresh basil pesto? Nothing, I say!
Your recipes, as always, use it so wonderfully!
Donna
Quit Eating Out, thank you! Hope you will enjoy the blog.
Jacqueline, you have been busy! Hope you like the touch of lemon in it!
Glad to find your site! You have such wonderful recipes, this one included that I'm anxious to try. Looking forward to following…
CJ, hope you like it with the lemon!
Christy, you're welcome. That's pretty funny, I loved the beans with lemon.
Have fun making pesto with that new food processor!
I buy my pine nuts at Costco, where they are much cheaper than that. I keep them in the freezer so they last for a long time.
Thanks for the recipe, I love pesto! I bought pine nuts last week for the first time in awhile, when did they get to be so expensive? I think they were around $30 per pound!
Oh look how GREEN that pesto is! Beautiful. My windowsill basil plants never have enough leaves to make a big batch like this so I always have to buy it, but it's worth it. I like leaving my pine nuts & cheese quite roughly chopped/grated so that the pesto has more of a texture. And one of my favorite new uses for pesto is to stir it into mashed potatoes!
Since I read about your basil/pesto a wk.or so ago, I felt the need to order one of those small food processors..which I'm waiting for now. Hopefully my basil will hold out until I receive it. Thanks Kalyn for answering my questions. rj
Used your inspiration the other day to make roasted green beans tossed with minced lemon basil. I thought it could be even more lemony and might add some zest to go with the lemon basil, but my husband said he couldn't taste the beans! Different strokes. Thanks for your great work!
Getting ready to make another batch of pesto and the addition of lemon sounds like a winner. I love lemon-basil combos, so preserving some of that summer goodness in this form is fantastic.
TW, I think Lydia's idea with the ice cube tray is the way to go for freezing!
OK – you've convinced me to give this a shot. There is so much basil growing at the farm that I have to give this a try. Especially if I can freeze it!
Year on the Grill, I like the idea of using walnuts; will have to try that. And your flatbread snack with goat cheese would be a hit around here!
Anonymous, thanks for that tip!
Joanne, I love it with the lemon, makes the flavor so much brighter.
Shirley, glad this was helpful for you. Pesto is a great gluten-free food!
Jeanne, I do like pesto with more texture too; I make it both ways. Pesto with mashed potatoes sounds delicious!
Lydia, I need to try that. I think those cubes of pesto would be so useful in winter cooking!
Italian Dish, Pesto lasagna sounds fantastic!
Susan, I think there are so many good brands of olive oil, and it's kind of a personal thing. If your town has a store where they let you taste the olive oil, that's a good way to do it. (Granatos in Salt Lake will do that.) I've had good luck with Costco Kirkland Olive Oil (be sure to get the one that says "extra virgin" and "first cold pressed" because the regular one is not good.) I haven't tried Kirkland's newest Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil, but I want to.
I have been looking forward to seeing your pesto recipe ever since you mentioned it a couple days ago. Thanks, I am anxious to try this one.
I have one question – do you have an olive oil that you would recommend?
One of the best things about summer, Kalyn – basil pesto! I just posted a Pesto Lasagna that we love for summer. I've never put lemon juice in my pesto. I will try that next time, sounds good!
I love to make pesto and freeze it for use throughout the winter. I leave out the cheese, and freeze it in an ice cube tray (I have one tray specifically for pesto, because I can never completely get the smell of garlic out of the tray!). Then pop the cubes into a freezer bag. When you want to use, either add the frozen cubes directly to a saute pan, or defrost and blend in the food processor with grated parmesan cheese and bit of oil, pepper and salt.
Great step-by-step tutorial, Kalyn! Thanks for the recipe ideas, too. I've only made pesto once before, but it's naturally gluten free and another gluten-free blogger (Linda of Gluten-Free Homemaker) has issued a pesto challenge, so your post will help me with that. 🙂
Shirley
Pesto has to be one of my favorite sauces and yet I've never thought to put lemon in it! Great idea.
A friend who is an Italian chef told me once that pesto will keep a long time if you put it in a good jar, pack it down well and then float some good olive oil on top. The oil keeps the air out and the pesto will last for weeks. You can also freeze it this way. To use, just pour off the oil (use it for a vinaigrette) and spoon the pesto out. Re-cover it with oil before refrigerating.
Tres
I made a batch of Basil Pesto just last week. I am too cheap to use pine nuts, so I added Walnuts instead. had a great earthier nuttier taste (pine nuts are expensive and have a mild taste that to me gets lost in the pesto). I made a flatbread snack with goatcheese from mine. And a mango bacon pizza.
So many great ways to use this stuff. Perfect post you did. Will be making a few of these recipes soon