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Can you make dried basil pesto? And does it even taste good? Someone asked us this question, and we set about to find out!
Can you make dried basil pesto? When someone asked us this question, our first thought was: why on earth would you want to? Fresh basil is one of the most delicious flavors on the planet: it’s peppery and herbaceous—not to mention a beautiful bright emerald green.
Dried basil, on the other hand, tastes bitter and is a dull brown color. It’s also tough, with a texture kind of like a pile of brittle autumn leaves.
So dried basil pesto? Not sure. But it got us to thinking…why not find out? As a little experiment, Alex and I took a stab at a recipe. Was it good? Keep reading to find out!
Why make dried basil pesto?
That’s a great question. If you want to make classic pesto, we implore you: make our best basil pesto recipe! Head to your local grocery and find some fresh basil. Or grow your own at home. Or make a different type of pesto, like kale pesto. Or spinach pesto.
However, I suppose we can imagine a scenario where you really want to make a pesto with only pantry ingredients. And you don’t have any store bought pesto on hand, and you can’t order it from Amazon Prime because there’s an epic snowstorm.
So then, would you want to make basil pesto? You read the part about how it tastes bitter, is dull brown, and has the texture of fallen leaves? OK, keep reading.
How to make dried basil pesto
As an experiment, Alex and I mixed up a batch of dried basil pesto using the same method of traditional basil pesto, substituting the dried basil for fresh. We added dried basil, Parmesan cheese, nuts, garlic, and a little lemon juice to a food processor. We whizzed it up and it made a dull looking brown paste. (No surprise.) We took a taste, and…
Oddly enough…it tasted kind of, good? While it’s really nothing to look at, dried basil pesto is kind of tasty. I mean, what wouldn’t be with Parmesan and garlic? It does have a bit of a bitter aftertaste, but it’s actually not too bad. A huge surprise to us, for sure!
As you can see above, the color difference is quite stunning: so if you can swing it, fresh basil is absolutely worth it.
But if you promise you have no access to fresh basil, here’s how to make dried basil pesto:
- Throw dried basil into a food processor with Parmesan cheese, garlic, cashews, lemon juice, and salt. Blend for a few seconds until combined.
- Add olive oil in a steady stream until a thick sauce forms! Store 1 week in the refrigerator or several months frozen.
Pesto recipes
Outside of this dried basil pesto, we have several more pesto recipes that we’d recommend making:
More sauce recipes
From homemade teriyaki to barbecue sauces, we’ve got dozens of fantastic sauce recipes here on A Couple Cooks! Here are some of our favorites:
Dietary notes
This dried basil pesto recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Dried Basil Pesto
Can you make dried basil pesto? And does it even taste good? Yes, through we recommend making it with fresh basil if at all possible! Here’s our recipe for dried basil pesto.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 tablespoons 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw unsalted cashews, pine nuts, or walnuts
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 medium garlic clove, peeled
- 3 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor, place all ingredients but the olive oil. Blend for a few seconds until fully combined.
- With the food processor on, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Continue to blend until combined and a thick sauce forms. Store 1 week in the refrigerator or several months frozen.
I made this today to go on prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches, it was perfect! I added a little fresh parsley to the food processor to give it more of a green color. I didn’t have cashews or pine nuts so I substituted pepitas, my husband thought it tasted great. Thanks for such a tasty and easy recipe.
I dry my pesto basil on a rack. It does not go brown . I pick it and wash it. Cold water. Then rack it. When it is dry it is still green and crispy..
I put it in a coffee grinder and turn it into a coarse powder. It does not go brown.
Excellent on tomatoes from the garden. Well everything.
I make a tub of your dried basil pesto at least once a month. We use so much pesto on a regular basis that fresh basil pesto wasn’t practical or within our means. Thank you!
A BIG THANKS! Now I know what to do with basil from my 2 plants. I have been sharing with friends and neighbors. Drying them will SAVE SPACE, be handy when needed and can share with family who appreciate the herbs.