Nothing says “restaurant quality” like a good pesto, but with my Creamy Pesto Sauce recipe, you needn’t leave the house. This classic Italian sauce is bright, garlicky, and nutty, the way good pesto should be. It’s done in less than 10 minutes and clings to your pasta or oven-roasted veggies beautifully, thanks to a generous splash of cream. Healthy, flavorful, and foolproof.
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Which is key, because as much as we all love pesto when dining out, it’s surprisingly hard to get right when you make it at home. Too chunky, too oily, too flat, too salty … the ways pesto can go wrong are a dime a dozen. We fix those issues here, as well as offer a surefire hack that guarantees the consistency of the sauce, emulsifying it and providing that full-bodied, pasta-hugging texture. Yum.
The possibilities are endless. You can dress up plain noodles, top grilled chicken, or dip warm bread in this creamy pesto sauce with equal success. Big flavor and minimal effort, all before your water hits a rolling boil.
Table of Contents
Creamy Pesto in 3 Simple Steps
- Blend pesto – Basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, salt, and olive oil.
- Stir in cream – Gently fold your dairy into the pesto once everything else has come together, just until smooth.
- Taste & adjust – Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve warm or cold.
Creamy Pesto Sauce Ingredients
- Basil – Look for fresh, green, fragrant leaves with no stems. Believe it or not, smaller leaves are better. They’ve got a nicer flavor and are more tender.
- Garlic – Two large cloves are the right amount for this recipe. If you’re a garlic lover, you can add more, but it can take over the sauce. Go carefully.
- Pine Nuts – While you can add them raw, toasting the pine nuts for a minute or two brings out their nuttiness best. If you have extra, store them in the freezer so they don’t go rancid.
- Parmesan – Get a fresh block of Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese has additives to keep it from clumping, but unfortunately, said additives also keep it from melting nicely.
- Olive Oil – Mild or medium extra-virgin olive oil helps to keep the basil flavor front and center.
- Cream – Because heavy cream gives the sauce its richness, you should buy the full-fat version, not half-and-half.
How to Make Creamy Pesto Sauce (Step-by-Step)
- Prep the ingredients – Start by rinsing and patting dry the basil, then toasting the pine nuts if you prefer (which I do). Peel the garlic cloves and set them aside.
- Blend the base – Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and salt into a food processor and pulse in short bursts until they are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides.
- Stream in olive oil – With the machine running, pour the olive oil in through the top in a slow stream. Continue until the mixture comes together into a smooth sauce.
- Add cream – Transfer the pesto to a bowl, then gently stir in the cream.
- Taste and serve – Adjust for salt, then serve the pesto or store it.
Pro Tips
- If the sauce tightens up while sitting in the refrigerator, you can stir in a splash of pasta water or a little more cream to loosen it back up. Make sure not to add too much, though; you’re looking for a drizzling consistency.
- When I make pesto ahead, I usually squeeze a bit of lemon juice into it just before serving. It adds bright new flavor, so no one can even tell that you made it ahead.
- I’ve found pesto sauce keeps best with plastic wrap pressed right onto the surface, especially if you’re storing it for more than a day, in which time it can turn brown.
- Make sure you stir the cream into the pesto once the rest of the ingredients are completely blended smooth. Heating or processing the sauce with the cream already in it can dull the basil’s color and flavor.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Creamy pesto is best used fresh, but it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If storing, press plastic wrap directly on the surface to help prevent browning. For freezing, omit the cream and stir it in later, after thawing.
Ways to Serve Creamy Pesto Sauce
- This creamy pesto is excellent tossed with hot pasta. I especially like short, fat shapes. Think fusilli or rotini, which hold onto the sauce and give you a nice mouthful in every bite!
- If you want to skip the carbs, feel free to spoon the sauce over roasted veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or taters.
- Spread the pesto on sandwiches or wraps. It’s a great mayo replacement, because it brings fat to the table along with a whole lot of flavor.
- Pesto makes a lovely and impressive dip. Put it in a dish and dunk crusty bread, crackers, or raw veg right in.
- Drizzle it over grilled chicken, fish, or steak. Make sure to do it just before serving so the pesto remains bright green and fresh-flavored.
Recipe Variations
- Dairy-free – If you can’t do the ol’ dairy, feel free to sub out the heavy cream in favor of full-fat coconut milk or a cashew cream, both of which lend the sauce a smooth, creamy, binding texture that is close to the original. Just be aware that the flavor is slightly sweeter when you add coconut milk.
- Different nuts – If cost, convenience, or preference make pine nuts untenable, feel free to use walnuts, almonds, or pistachios.
- Different cheese – Like a sharper, saltier sauce? Switch out Parmesan for Pecorino Romano.
FAQ
Yes. For this recipe, you’ll want ¾ cup refrigerated store-bought pesto, then add the cream as directed.
Absolutely. I use it as a dip, sandwich spread, or drizzle for roasted vegetables.
Plain pesto freezes well. If you’re going to freeze it, though, make sure to skip the cream, which can separate when thawed.
Short shapes like fusilli, rotini, or penne are my favorite because they’ve got lots of nooks and crannies to hold onto sauce.
More Recipes for Pesto Lovers
Creamy Pesto Sauce
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces fresh basil leaves no stems, about 2 cups
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted if desired, about 35grams
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese about ½ cup
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until everything is finely minced, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl. With the machine running, pour the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream and blend until the mixture turns creamy.
- Spoon the pesto into a medium bowl, fold in the heavy cream, then taste and add a little more salt if needed. Serve as desired.
Notes
- If you’re not using the pesto right away, transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface to help keep its bright green color.
- One batch makes roughly 1 ½ cups pesto—about 12 fluid ounces.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
