This one-ingredient upgrade is straightforward and works for both store-bought and homemade pesto. If you're adding fresh lemon zest to pesto, wash your lemon and pat the skin dry. Use a rasp grater, ...

One of the tastiest ways to use basil is by making pesto. This very green paste -- used as a type of sauce, or even in some cases a condiment -- is made from fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, ...

Nowhere does basil shine more than in pesto. I’ll buy a jar at the supermarket on a whim, and then wonder why I don’t eat it every day, at every meal — but homemade is always best.

SEASONAL RECIPES Recipe: For the next potluck, bring a bright green salad of pasta, potatoes, and pesto By Karoline Boehm Goodnick Globe Correspondent, Updated June 10, 2025, 10:00 a.m.

Basil. Fresh basil makes up the bulk of the pesto, so you need about 2 cups of the leaves. When shopping, look for bright green basil leaves that are free from wilting and browning. Parmesan cheese.

In a 2011 Saveur piece, Laura Schenone called pesto "the uncooked, economical pride of Liguria" — a sauce born of poverty and a reliance on gathered greens. Its name comes from the Italian word ...

Classic pesto, as defined in its birthplace of Genoa, Italy, contains only seven ingredients: basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and pecorino cheeses, garlic, coarse salt, and olive oil.

Basil pesto is a humble sauce that can liven up just about anything. Sure, you can toss it with just about any pasta, of course, but that’s really just the start.

15-Year-Old Pesto Sauce "I first tried pesto in a restaurant about 15 years ago and asked the chef what was in it. I love keeping my own jar of this on hand as it yields enough for a pound of ...

Pesto is more than a basil-based condiment for pasta. These pesto recipes prove how versatile the sauce can be. Add other herbs and greens, swap out the nuts, and pair the sauce with all kinds of ...

Heck, your pesto needn’t even be green. With sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste and jarred roasted red peppers, you can make Alexa’s spicy red pesto, inspired by pesto alla Siciliana, year-round.

While you can’t go wrong simply tossing pesto with pasta, try it as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, or dip for crackers and crudités. Here are some ideas from our archives to get you started.