BEST Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe

Making your own creamy pesto sauce at home is so much better than store-bought, and it’s really simple to do. The best part is that you can control all the ingredients and tweak it to your liking. Since I was a child, I have always loved pasta with Alfredo sauce and Pesto sauce, since then, these creamy sauces have become my favorite go-to sauces. I like to add a little more basil or garlic sometimes depending on my mood. The flavor of fresh basil truly shines through in this sauce. All you need is basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, cream and a pinch of salt.

Simply blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth and creamy. This herby, garlicky and cheesy sauce is perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or anything that needs a flavorful spread. It also makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Kids especially go crazy for the bright green color. I like to double or triple the batch and keep some in the fridge for leftover pasta or other meals throughout the week for an instant flavor and nutrition boost. It truly doesn’t get much easier than a few ingredients blended together for the most delicious homemade condiment.

Why You’ll Love Creamy Pesto Sauce

Making your own creamy pesto sauce is so satisfying as it allows you to craft the perfect blend of fresh herbs, nuts and cheese. The fresh basil really shines through in this sauce, giving it an incredibly bright and flavorful profile. Beyond being simply delicious, there are several key reasons why you will love this creamy pesto sauce recipe:

Firstly, it is so versatile – you can use it as a sauce over pasta, chicken, fish or vegetables. It also makes an excellent spread for sandwiches, bruschetta or dip with raw veggies. The possibilities are endless, which makes it a very convenient pantry staple.

Secondly, it is much better than any store-bought pesto sauce. By making it yourself, you have complete control over the ingredients and can adjust it to your specific tastes. The fresh basil and garlic really elevate it to another level.

Lastly, it is a guaranteed family favorite. The bright green color and intense herby flavor excite even the fussiest of eaters. In no time it will become a recipe you turn to again and again for quick and satisfying weeknight pastas, salads and more.

Creamy Pesto Sauce

Making your own creamy pesto sauce is so satisfying because you have full control over the fresh ingredients. Homemade pesto sauce tastes infinitely better than anything from a jar. When you make it yourself, the vibrant brightness and intense herby flavor really shine through. All it takes is tearing a few handfuls of basil leaves from your garden or purchasing them at the farmers’ market or grocery store along with some pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Simply place the fresh ingredients like basil, garlic, pine nuts/walnuts, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and a pinch of pepper into a food processor. Pulse it all together while slowly streaming in olive oil until a thick, creamy paste forms. For a luxuriously smooth consistency, you can also blend in some heavy cream or sour cream. The nuttiness from the nuts pairs perfectly with the bright herbaceousness of the basil.

This versatile flavored sauce is incredible over pasta, used as a topping for pizza or pizza crusts, tossed with vegetables, seafood, or meat. It also makes the best simple summer dinnertime sauce to serve with zucchini noodles, tagliatelle pasta, or spinach artichoke pasta. Try it as a sauce for chicken breast or fish – the fresh flavors are next level. Keep some on hand in the fridge for quick and easy weeknight recipes!

What You’ll Need?

BEST Creamy Pesto Sauce Recipe

Recipe by The Saucy CanvasCourse: Pasta SaucesCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Calories

403

kcal

Total time

15

minutes

Savor the luscious blend of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and cream in our creamy pesto sauce recipe. Perfect for pasta, sandwiches, or as a dip, this homemade delight is sure to elevate any dish with its irresistible flavor and velvety texture.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pine nuts , toasted

• 4 cloves garlic

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves , packed

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup flat parsley, , packed

• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese melted
  

Directions

• Toast Pine Nuts: Heat a dry pan over medium. Add pine nuts and toast for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• Make the Pesto: Add basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves and Parmesan cheese to a food processor. Pulse to chop the ingredients.
• Drizzle in Olive Oil: With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a paste forms.
• Add Cream and Salt: Add the heavy/light cream and salt. Pulse to fully combine.
• Use/Store Sauce: Serve tossed with pasta or vegetables. Or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• Enjoy! The creamy pesto sauce adds a bright flavor boost to any dish.

Notes

• Cream – I prefer using light or single cream so it can thicken with the parmesan. Use heavy cream if you prefer but you might need to loosen with pasta water.
  
• Storage– Freezing is not recommended.

Creamy Pesto Sauce Without Cream

For those looking to make a dairy-free or lighter version of creamy pesto sauce, it’s certainly possible without using cream. The trick is to blend oil into the basil and nuts slowly to emulsify it into a thick, creamy-like consistency.

Using a high-powered blender or food processor, purée fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts/walnuts, Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice first. Then slowly drizzle in a neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed or avocado oil while blending. This will create a silky pesto without heavy dairy.

For extra richness, you can blend in some softened silken tofu or mashed chickpeas. Or try using a nut butter like almond or cashew butter. These plant-based substitutions add protein and creaminess to mimic the texture of cream.

Adjusting the oil-to-nut ratio can also influence the thickness. More oil will make it thinner, while more nuts will punch up the richness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Without dairy-based cream lightening it, this vegan pesto may be slightly greener and more intensely herbaceous. But it’s just as delicious tossed with pasta or used as a spread.

RELATED: White Garlic Sauce

RELATED: Pink Sauce For Pasta

Substitutions & Variations

• Herb Substitutions: Try making a red pepper pesto by switching some or all of the basil for roasted red peppers. Or use a mint or cilantro pesto.
• Fruit/Veggie Additions: Dice in cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic or oven-roasted cherry tomatoes for extra flavor.
• Nut Swaps: substitute sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds for traditional pine nuts.
• Leafy Green Mix: Use a combo of basil and baby spinach or parsley for color/nutrition.
• Protein Additions: Toss pesto sauce with chicken, shrimp, chicken apple sausage or pancetta/bacon pieces.
• Pasta Shapes: Experiment with fettuccine, orecchiette, farfalle or spiralized veggie noodles.
• Cheese Variations: Swap Parmesan for pecorino romano, Grana Padano or ricotta salata cheese.
• Flavor Boosts: Stir in crushed red pepper flakes, chopped jalapeño or cayenne pepper for spice.
• Non-Pasta Uses: Toss with steamed green beans, potatoes or chicken thighs for meal versatility.
• Seafood Dish: Toss fettuccine with pesto, shrimp and Old Bay seasoning for coastal pasta.

Let creativity be your guide when tweaking the classic recipe with alternate ingredients!

What To Do With Leftovers?

Storage
Store leftover pesto sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The cold temperature keeps flavors and colors fresh. If using heavy cream, the sauce may separate – simply stir to recombine before serving.
Freezing
It was considered as an additional preservation method. However, freezing is generally not recommended for creamy pesto sauces. This is because the low temperatures can cause ingredients like heavy cream to separate irreversibly during thawing. While some texture changes may be resolvable by stirring, freezing risks degrading the overall quality of flavors and compounds over extended periods of frozen storage.

Serving Suggestions

The bright flavors of pesto make it a delicious substitute for traditional hollandaise sauce in dishes like egg’s benedict. A dollop paired with poached eggs and Canadian bacon is a sunny breakfast treat. Pesto also brings vibrant color and creaminess to recipes like chicken caprese pasta salad. The basil-tomato sauce complements the mozzarella and chicken breasts perfectly.

Pesto has countless uses beyond pasta, too. Try baking it into white pizza or spreading it under ricotta in stuffed shells, lasagna or homemade ravioli for herbed layers of taste. Enjoy it as a dip with crisp bread, garlic bread or pita chips too. Also consider stirring pesto into mashed potatoes, using it to top french fries or baked zucchini sticks, or tossing roasted or steamed veggies in its rich herbed sauce. Just a spoonful is sure to brighten the flavor of green beans, carrots or Brussels sprouts.

The fresh pesto pairs especially well with crusty bread to soak up extra sauce. It also makes for a tangy pesto dressing on tossed salads packed with veggies. A double serving size allows the versatile sauce to be stretched over multiple components of a meal, too.

Tips By The Saucy Canvas

1. Add baby spinach or extra basil for more nutrients and pesto punch. Wilted spinach works well.
2. Get creative with nuts by using walnuts, pecans, pine nuts or slivered almonds. Toast them first for max flavor.
3. Cook the pesto sauce gently. Its fresh flavors are quite fragile and can become bitter with too much heat.
4. When cooking pasta, do not boil the water too aggressively or the noodles may break up. Watch them closely as they cook.
5. Save some starchy pasta cooking water before draining. A splash added to the pesto helps it coat noodles more easily.
6. Drain pasta in a colander and transfer back to the warm cooking pot on the stovetop. This ensures it’s hot and ready for sauce.
7. When adding the sauce to the warm pasta pot, use low heat and toss continuously so cream doesn’t separate or curdle.
8. For thicker sauces, let some liquid reabsorb into the pasta until it reaches your preferred al dente doneness.
9. Remove pasta directly from the pot with a spider strainer or tongs to better retain sauce coating in each step.

The key is gentle, attentive cooking to enhance pesto’s natural goodness in every creamy bite.

Nutrition

Health Benefits Of Creamy Pesto Sauce

Creamy pesto sauce contains several heart-healthy components. The olive oil is the primary fat and provides monounsaturated fats that can help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Basil, garlic, and pine nuts are rich in antioxidants that may help combat oxidative stress and inflammation. This could protect against chronic diseases. The magnesium and calcium found in ingredients like basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese support bone, teeth, muscle and nerve function. Calcium is essential for building strong bones and teeth, while magnesium acts as an antioxidant.

Several ingredients in pesto sauce can also benefit digestive health and immunity. The fiber from pine nuts aids digestion as it moves through the GI tract. Pinolenic acid in pine nuts may promote fullness by stimulating cholecystokinin, helping with appetite control. Allicin, a compound in garlic, supports immune function and has antimicrobial properties that can help the body fight illness and infection. While higher in fats and calories than plain pesto from additions of cheese and cream, creamy pesto sauce can fit into a balanced diet when consumed in moderation at home in portion controlled servings. The healthy fats, fibers, antioxidants and minerals provide various health advantages.

My Final Thoughts

Creamy pesto sauce is a versatile and flavorful condiment that can take meals from ordinary to extraordinary. The vibrant basil and herb flavors paired with olive oil and cream make it a versatile ingredient that enhances everything from pasta to roasted vegetables. Best of all, despite its rich and decadent taste, creamy pesto offers unexpected health benefits from its antioxidant-rich ingredients. A homemade batch keeps well in the refrigerator and allows enjoyment of this satisfying sauce all week long. Whether adding brightness to a variety of dishes or simply enjoyed with crusty bread, creamy pesto is a tasty way to boost nutrient intake through everyday cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 What is creamy pesto made of?

 Creamy pesto is made with a classic pesto sauce of basil, pine nuts/walnuts, Parmesan, garlic and olive oil with the addition of cream or dairy like heavy cream.

 What thickens pesto?

Cream or dairy can thicken pesto. Puréed nuts or breadcrumbs also work. Over mixing breaks down the basil, so gently folding ingredients coats them.

 How to make pesto sauce better?

To make pesto better, use high quality fresh herbs and nuts. Tasting and adjusting seasoning helps. Adding spinach or extra virgin olive oil boosts nutrition.

Is it OK to eat pesto every day?

Eating pesto daily in moderation as part of a varied diet should be fine for most people. As with any condiment, measure portions for optimal health.

What is the best way to store pesto?

 The best way to store pesto is in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–5 days. Freezing is not recommended.

 Is pesto unhealthy or healthy?

 Pesto can be part of a healthy diet. Use quality ingredients in moderation alongside a balanced meal higher in complex carbs, proteins and fiber.

 Does pesto need acid?

 Yes, a squeeze of lemon or lime brings out pesto’s flavors. The acid balances the rich olive oil and cheese.

 I want to put nuts in my pesto. What should I add, and when would I add them?

Toast nuts before adding them to pesto for maximum crunch and flavor. Walnuts or almonds pair nicely. Add nuts after blending other ingredients.

 How do I add lemon juice to cream without it curdling?

 Add lemon juice to cream, a little at a time, while whisking to gently incorporate without curdling. Going slow is key.

 I don’t eat cheese. Is there anything I can substitute it with?

Tofu or nutritional yeast can substitute for the cheese flavor in pesto. Silken tofu blended in adds creaminess.