- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 6 packed cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, baby spinach, or more basil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup olive oil, plus (optional) more for storing the pesto
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (3 ounces) finely and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Place the garlic, basil, parsley, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
- With the machine running constantly, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, until the pesto is smooth, stopping when needed to scrape the side with a rubber spatula.
- Transfer the pesto to a medium-size bowl. Add the salt and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. For storing and freezing instructions see the sidebar, this page.