How to make homemade pesto: 14 sauce recipes

2. Courgette pesto

We had talked about variations, and we can't help but start with one of the most delicious : courgette pesto . It is a fresh, delicate and creamy sauce, which can be prepared in many different variations.

In our recipe we use courgettes, which we first blanch lightly in salted water, basil and almonds, to give a particular flavor to the courgette sauce. It is very good for seasoning pasta, risotto , lasagna, but also for creating delicious croutons.

And if you want to try an even fresher variant, but above all, quicker to prepare, you can try making raw courgette pesto. You simply have to grate them directly and add all the other ingredients.

Are you ready to enjoy a fabulous pasta with zucchini pesto?

Ingredients for the courgette and almond pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 4 courgettes
• 10/12 fresh basil leaves
• 40 g of almonds
• 100 g of grated cheese
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

3. Arugula pesto

Rocket and pine nut pesto is a variant that replaces basil with rocket, and for this reason its taste is more particular, with a slight bitter note . This sauce is especially excellent for preparing appetizers and goes well with both meat and fish .

You can also think of using it to dress a seafood salad, or use a few spoonfuls of rocket cream to give an extra edge to your dishes, such as octopus with potatoes.

To make this rocket sauce, you must follow the steps of traditional pesto exactly, and you can vary by using walnuts or almonds instead of pine nuts.

Try making rocket pesto too!

Ingredients for the rocket pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 100 g of fresh rocket
• 50 g of pecorino
• 50 g of grated cheese (such as Parmesan)
• 1 clove of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• 50 g of pine nuts
• salt to taste

4. Pistachio pesto

Let's now look at one of the symbolic sauces of Sicilian cuisine, which is made with the green gold of Sicily: Bronte pistachios. We are talking about pistachio pesto , a decidedly tasty sauce suitable for those who love strong flavours.

What is the original recipe for pistachio pesto? The preparation is clearly based on the quality of the pistachios, which are processed with garlic, cheese, oil, basil and water. The result is a sauce with a strong, savory and decisive flavour, which cannot only be combined with first courses, but also with fish main courses or tasty aperitifs.

Are you ready to try your hand at preparing this delicious pistachio cream? Here are the ingredients!

Ingredients for the homemade pistachio pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 200 g of pistachios
• 2 tablespoons grated cheese
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100 ml of water
• 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

5. Trapani-style pesto

We remain in Sicily, and more precisely in Trapani, a city located on the western tip . Right here, a long time ago, the recipe for Trapanese pesto originated.

The name is not at all accidental, and is actually due to the frequent trade exchanges that took place with the Genoese. It was they who spread pesto in these areas, which was then reworked based on the ingredients that the Sicilian land offered, including ricotta, tomatoes and almonds.

To prepare this delicious sauce, all you have to do is peel the tomatoes , so as to make the consistency of the sauce velvety and creamy, and then crush them together with the rest of the ingredients. The result will amaze you !

Ingredients for the Sicilian pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 250 g of tomatoes (Pizzutelli are ideal)
• 50 g skinless almonds
• 50 g of fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons of grated pecorino
• 1 clove of Nubia red garlic
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt to taste

6. Eggplant pesto

Fragrant , very delicate, perfect for every occasion. Eggplant pesto is something truly sublime, capable of enhancing a first course with its creaminess and aroma, but also perfect for creating delicious appetizers .

Its taste can be combined with many fresh products, from mozzarella to provola, from tomatoes to cold cuts ; in short, all perfect ingredients for preparing dream crostoni.

To make the aubergine sauce, cook in the oven and then mash them with all the other ingredients. In just a few minutes you will have created a wonderful sauce. Try it to believe it!

Ingredients for the Sicilian aubergine pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 800 g of aubergines
• 60 g of almonds
• 40 g of grated cheese
• 50 g of extra virgin olive oil
• basil to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

7. Walnut pesto

After basil pesto, walnut pesto is without a doubt one of the most well-known and consumed of all. And it is no coincidence that its origin is Liguria, where walnut sauce has been prepared for many years and represents one of the traditional regional sauces.

Its difficulty lies in the preparation and treatment of the walnuts, which must be blanched in water for a few minutes. This step, which serves to remove the bitter aroma imparted by the shell, must then necessarily be followed by peeling , in order to obtain the kernels, which is done by hand walnut by walnut.

Once the cleaning process is finished, the walnuts are crushed with cheese, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, oil and garlic, until a velvety and delicious walnut cream is obtained. In some variations of the Ligurian culinary tradition, fennel and marjoram are also added, which give the sauce a fabulous aroma .

Walnut Pasta Sauce Recipe Ingredients (serves 4)

• 150 g of walnuts
• 30 g of pine nuts
• 40 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
• 40 g of breadcrumbs
• 1 clove of garlic
• 150 ml of whole milk
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

8. Fennel pesto

Let's now see how to make fennel pesto , a very particular and unusual condiment. The taste of fennel, in fact, is very structured, delicate on the one hand but at the same time pungent and savory.

To make this sauce you must first blanch the fennel in lightly salted water, then combine it with all the ingredients and work it until you obtain a creamy sauce. At this point, you can use it for many dishes, and above all combine it with many flavours. In fact, this pesto goes well on its own, with bread, or with pasta, but also with fish and meat, used as a sauce to flavor second courses .

Try preparing it, the result will amaze you!

Ingredients for the fresh wild fennel pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• a nice bunch of wild fennel
• 100 g of blanched almonds (or 50 g of pine nuts + 50 g of almonds)
• 3-4 tablespoons of pecorino or other grated cheese
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt to taste
• a clove of garlic

9. Broccoli pesto

The ingredients of broccoli pesto are practically the same as the traditional pesto recipe. Pine nuts are used, sometimes also almonds, extra virgin olive oil and grated cheese. The difference , as is obvious, is made by broccoli, the undisputed protagonists of this preparation.

The secret to obtaining a delicious sauce is to blanch the broccoli in boiling water, after having cleaned it, removing leaves, hard white parts and stems. 5-10 minutes will be enough, until the vegetables have become nice and soft .

At this point divide the florets and add them to the rest of the ingredients to be crushed. Add garlic if you want even more flavor. You can also use this sauce to season delicious risottos . Try it at home!

Ingredients for the broccoli pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 250 g of broccoli
• 15 g of pine nuts
• 15 g of blanched almonds
• 20 g of grated cheese
• 10 g of fresh basil leaves
• 50 ml of EVO oil
• salt to taste

10. Cashew Pesto

We continue with a vegan sauce , which can be prepared simply with cashews, basil, garlic and oil. The taste of cashew pesto is very delicate, velvety and light, and by crushing the cashews together with all the other ingredients you obtain a very versatile cream.

You can in fact use it to season first courses, such as spaghetti, gnocchi or even filled ravioli, but this cream is even better if consumed like hummus, the traditional chickpea sauce that is served as an appetizer together with vegetables or croutons . bread.

Clearly, if you want, you can add cheese to the preparation, but in this way you will have prepared a dish suitable for everyone, both vegans and those who are intolerant to dairy products .

Ingredients for the vegan cashew pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 70 g of cashews
• 60 g of basil
• 100 ml of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt to taste

To conclude, we leave you with all our best quick recipes and also those for quick sauces : you will amaze everyone!

11. Sicilian pesto

Sicilian pesto differs from Genoese pesto in several aspects. Initially, the tomatoes are added, without the seeds. Plus, it can be easily prepared with a simple mixer without the fear of incurring the wrath of purists. Finally, the ricotta is added. However, the presence of basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan remains unchanged.

It is said that the Sicilians learned this particular preparation from Genoese sailors (but they could also tell an opposite story, since everyone would like to be the "first"). Are you ready to make it at home? Nothing more simple and enjoyable.

Sicilian pesto ingredients (for 8 people)

• 400 g of red tomatoes
• 100 g of parmesan
• 1 clove of garlic
• 200 g of ricotta
• 2 bunches of basil
• 100 ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g of pine nuts
• salt to taste

12. Kale pesto

Black cabbage is a vegetable typically consumed during the winter and is highly appreciated in Tuscan cuisine, where it is the main ingredient of ribollita. However, it can also be used in other equally delicious recipes, such as kale pesto . This pesto is perfect for seasoning pasta or spreading on croutons, and it is quick and easy to prepare.

To make black cabbage pesto, in addition to the black cabbage itself, you will need almonds (or other dried fruit to taste), garlic, salt, chilli pepper and oil. The process is similar to that of traditional pesto, but with the addition of boiling the cabbage leaves before using them. This will make the leaves tender and bring out all their flavor. Are you ready to prepare an exceptional winter pesto?

Ingredients for the black cabbage pesto recipe (for 4 people)

• 150 g of black cabbage
• 40 g of almonds or other dried fruit
• half a clove of garlic
• chili pepper to taste (optional)
• 50 g of grated cheese
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• salt to taste

13. Dried tomato pesto

We end (almost) with an easy but delicious sauce. Often very little is needed to make a pasta dish tasty and satisfying, such as seasoning it with dried tomato pesto ! To prepare it in its basic version, only 4 ingredients and less than 5 minutes are needed, the time needed to retrieve everything from the pantry and blend the ingredients.

The best-known version of this pesto is Sicilian dried tomato pesto, which requires almonds, garlic, oil and of course dried tomatoes ( in oil or rehydrated ). You can also add oregano or basil to make it even more aromatic, or parmesan cheese for a richer flavored pesto that can also be spread on bread. Let's see together how to prepare it!

Ingredients to prepare the dried tomato pesto (for 4 people)

• 200 g of dried tomatoes in oil
• 50 g of blanched almonds
• fresh basil to taste
• 1 clove of garlic
• extra virgin olive oil to taste
• 1 pinch of salt

14. Pepper pesto

We are really on the home stretch, with this sauce/condiment prepared with the delicious peppers:pesto ! We recommend making the recipe by cooking the vegetables in the oven at 200°C for about 30 minutes . As soon as they are cooked, place them in a plastic bag, close it and leave to cool (this will make removing the skin much easier). Once you have cleaned the peppers, place them in a blender with all the other ingredients and blend intermittently until you obtain the desired consistency!

Ingredients for the pepper pesto (for 4 people)

• 2 red peppers
• 100 g of grated cheese
• 90 g almonds or pine nuts (or half and half)
• 50 g of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10-15 basil leaves
• salt to taste