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I have to tell you that I am pretty excited that picnic season is here. As you may have noticed, I really really like picnics. Which is why I’m so excited to share with you the most amazing pesto you will ever taste.
A friend of ours makes this pesto from her own basil and gives it away every Christmas. Every year we devour it and rave about how good it is. I finally decided life is too short to have amazing pesto only in December. So this year I asked, and this friend of ours was good enough to pass on her recipe. (Thanks, Jaime!) We’ve been making it nonstop since. Several dinners have revolved around this pesto. And I expect several summer picnics yet to come will revolve around it too.
The recipe is so impossibly easy. I wish I’d started making it years ago. There’s no special process. There is, however, one secret ingredient: butter. Basil and butter? How can you go wrong?
I included a free printable label for you. I thought pesto might be a good addition to my list of DIY wedding favors. Plus this will make a great hostess gift. Just sneak it in the fridge with a little thank you note while no one is looking. When your hostess discovers it she will love you, and when she tastes it she will love you even more. I’ve included a blank label too. Just in case you’d like to use it for some other treat.
Download from DropBox by clicking here: Printable Pesto Label, Printable Label Blank
Or download here: Pesto Label, printable (2918)
Leafy Label, blank (3402)
(Printing tip: You can open these files as they are, or, if you’d like to change their size, insert them into a Word document as a picture. Then you can resize as you like.)
Jamie’s Amazing Homemade Pesto
Ingredients
4 cups packed basil leaves
5 cloves garlic
½ cup butter
2 cups parmesan cheese
olive oil
a handful of pine nuts or walnuts
Put first four ingredients into bowl of food processor in order given: mash as many basil leaves in as you can, just as long as you leave a few inches of space at the top of the bowl, then add garlic (the Trader Joe’s pre-peeled stuff is great), slice up the butter on top, and dump the cheese on top of that. Pulse and gradually add olive oil until mixture is the consistency of thick paste. (Taste at this point and see if it needs more of anything.) Add nuts and continue to blend. Once done, spoon into jars and keep in fridge until ready to enjoy. Yields about two cups.
I’m sorry to tell you that my basil is store-bought. But I am tending to my herb garden dutifully, and I’m hopeful that I’ll get to use my own basil very soon.
Did you know you can use walnuts in pesto? Pine nuts are great too, but I like that with walnuts you can occasionally bite into a big chunk of nut. Yum. In fact, I threw in most of my walnuts and processed the pesto for a while, then threw in a few extra and gave everything just a few whirls so I’d be guaranteed a few big chunks.
I love how bright springie green it is.
Happy picnicking!
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
This is awsome. I loooove the labels. How long do these keep if the fridge?
Thanks!
Thanks for posting this recipe. I love pesto and I never considered putting walnuts in it..I’m gonna have to try this!
ooh i love the labels and the recipe sounds super yummy! thanks for sharing! :)
Love the idea of giving it as a gift and thanks so much for labels! One question, how does the pesto keep till Christmas?
thanks for sharing!
Hi Everyone!
Thanks for all the sweet notes. My husband is on the phone with our friend right now. She says it keeps for a year if you freeze it. She makes it in August and keeps it for winter. I love the thought of being partially done with my Christmas list in August.
Oh yum. I have big expectations for putting up pesto this year. I just bookmarked your recipe and can’t wait to give it a try this summer. There are 12 basil plants in my garden getting a little bigger everyday. These labels are simply gorgeous.
That looks delish! I lurve pesto, and we have loads in the garden…hmmm I feel a batch coming on :D
Hi Amber Lee-
I just found your website this week and I can’t tell you haow excited I am to find it. I love finding creative gift giving ideas – this pesto is the perfect gift. The printable labels are great. I will be making a batch or tow or three very soon. Thanks
My best -
Diane
My family loves my homemade pesto. I freeze it in the summer time in ice cube trays so we can have it in the winter. I never thought of giving it as a gift! What a great hostess gift for those summer cookouts!
Looks good, and beautifully styled! I’m excited to point readers this way for the free printable tags, too. Thanks, AmberLee!
Oh, I love picnics like nobody’s business. Thanks for posting this.
I LOVE pesto, on many many things. I have tried to grow basil many times – no luck. Now, I buy the little potted plants at T’Joes and keep it on my counter until I’ve clipped all the leaves off or it dies, whichever comes first. I do not have a green thumb. My neighbors might be getting this for Christmas too. Got a little giveaway going over at my blog this week if anyone is feeling lucky.
What a brilliant idea for Christmas -especially for Southern Hemisphere-ers. I always love the cocoa and gingerbready ideas too but in the summer heat at Christmas time it just doesn’t work :)
Cashew nuts are also delish in pesto.
Love your blog and read it all the time, but this is my first time to thank you for it !
E
I am so excited about using the labels and getting a good pesto recipe! Thanks so much!!!!
I am going to be visiting your blog often to help me with my goal of doing Random Acts of Kindness! Thank you! (again hehehe)
yum! thanks for sharing!
Gorgeous!
Pistachios are also delish in pesto – and can be used instead of basil. It goes a lovely green, and you can pop some spinach salad leaves in at the end too.
Just mix up the pistachios, olive oil and parmesan to a consistency that feels right – and pop in basil or spinach too if you want.
Yum!
What a great idea to get the gifts made early before the christmas rush!
Oooh, I love the beautiful labels – thank you!
I am so thrilled that I came across your blog!! Not only did I find a fabulous recipe-but I have lots of eye candy to look at!!
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to fully stalk your blog!!
Pleas, stop by sometime and say hello!
Thanks for the inspiration! I am going to go and buy some basil plants and plant me an herb garden!!
You have a great blog & this freebie is great! Thanks for sharing. I’ve linked to it on my blog:
http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/2010/05/free-printables-for-fathers-day.html
Hope you’ll stop by sometime!
thank you so much for this great recipe and beautiful labels
Hahah, what a coincidence!
Just yesterday, I was thinking it’s been a while since we had pesto; plus, we can now get fresh basil from our herb garden :)
*sorry for double posting, you can merge them if you want!
Your labels and recipe are great – thanks so much for sharing!
Can’t wait to try the pesto recipe wondering how long it keeps? Basil is really growing now so would like to get a jump on Christmas gifts. Love your site fantastic ideas. Thx in advance.Sue
Hi Sue!
I spoke with my friend, and she said it keeps for up to a year in the freezer. Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!
What a wonderful gift idea! Cant wait to try it. Quick question – which glass jars did you use? In the picture they seem like the perfect size for pesto and I’m not having much luck finding them on my own. Thanks!
Oh wow please tell your friend for allowing the recipe to be posted! And thanks for the labels! Can’t wait to make the for family and friends!
How does the taste of this pesto made with butter compare with pesto made with an equal amount of olive oil? We love pesto and I make it all the time during growing season. I love your site. I just discovered it and I’m sure I will be a very frequent visitor.
Hi Paula,
So glad you stopped by. I have to confess, I really love this pesto with the butter. It’s the taste and the spread consistency. I feel a little guilty using butter instead of olive oil, but to me, it’s worth it. I’d definitely recommend you give it a shot. Do you mind if I ask, what kind of basil do you use? always sweet basil? it sounds like you’re a pro and I’ve been curious if anyone prefers any other kind.
Hi,
Are those standard sized cupcake liners ? That is such a wonderful idea.
Hi Laura,
Great question. No, I picked up a set of larger liners at Sur la Tab (they are mega-muffin size but a little shorter, I think they were for tarts?). I hope that helps!
I am making this tomorrow!!!
Candie!
I’m so happy you’ll be trying this! It is an all-time favorite of mine.
ok, so i have a question: if i make these now (October) should i keep them in the freezer until i give as gifts for Christmas? what happens when i give them away as gifts then? i tell them to put them in the fridge asap or will they be ok say under the christmas tree for a few days? id love to give them as gifts but i dont want to give food poisoning aswell!!
thank you
Hi Asling! Great questions. Yes, you should definitely be able to make these now and freeze them and they will be fantastic at Christmas. And to tell you the truth, I’m not really sure how they’d do under the tree? You may want to stick a bow on them and put them right in the fridge, it will make for a good surprise, right? Thanks, and good luck!
thx for the recipe 1 question for what do you use the pesto which dish ??
You use pesto with… pasta! The right type of pasta is called ‘trenette’ or you can use ‘trofie’ (hard to find but delicious).
The original Italian pesto is made exclusively with pine nuts (never nuts), less clover 2 cloves will do) and never never add butter but only extra vergin olive oil.
Pesto is never cooked, use it as it is. And for a perfect dish, cook the pasta with chopped green beans and diced potatoes altogether, drain it when ‘al dente’ (don’t overcook) and dress it with pesto. In Italy it is considered a first course, not main dish, never served with side dish but alone.
So, thank you for these really nice labels!
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