Hungry Healthy Happy

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes To Your Inbox
  • Shop
×
Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » 10 Minute Recipes

Mixed Herb Pesto

Updated: Jan 26, 2023 · Published: Apr 9, 2019 · Written by Dannii Martin · This post may contain affiliate links which earn us commissions if purchases are made · 29 Comments

189 shares
  • 15
Diet: Low Carb
Jump to Recipe
A jar of mixed herb pesto with a text title overlay.

You just can't beat fresh homemade pesto. It's so quick and easy to whizz together in a food processor and it instantly takes cooked pasta to the next level. This Mixed Herb Pesto uses a mixture of 4 different herbs, rather than just basil, so it's a great way to reduce food waste. An easy pesto recipe with so many uses.

A jar of pesto oon a wooden surfave.

Traditionally pesto is made with basil and whilst I am all for that (it's probably my favourite herb), it doesn't mean that you can't make it with other herbs too. Or a mixture of herbs, which is what we have done in this recipe.

We used a mixture of basil, chives, coriander and parsley, but any leafy herbs (rather than woody ones) will work.

It doesn't just have to be herbs that you can use in this homemade pesto (although that should be the star ingredient), but you can add green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale too. Such a good way to hide veggies if your kids don't love them. Because what kid doesn't love pesto pasta?

Jump to:
  • Why you will love it
  • Ingredients needed
  • How to make pesto - Step by step
  • Using leftover herbs
  • Can it be made vegan?
  • How to use pesto
  • FAQs
  • Extra tips
  • Recipes with pesto
  • Recipe
  • Feedback

Why you will love it

  • Cheaper than store bought pesto
  • Any herbs can be used
  • Good way to use up herbs
  • Can be used with lots of dishes

Ingredients needed

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.
  • Garlic cloves - Crushed garlic cloves are best for flavour.
  • Parmesan - Real Parmesan is not vegetarian, so keep this a vegetarian pesto by using a vegetarian version.
  • Pine nuts - If you don't have pine nuts, you can use walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts.
  • Olive oil - Try to use the best quality olive oil you can get.
  • Mix of herbs - We used chives, basil, parsley and coriander.
  • Sea salt and black pepper

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

How to make pesto - Step by step

One: Add the garlic, pine nuts, herbs and salt and pepper to a small food processor and whizz for a couple of seconds.

A food processor with herbs and pine nuts in it.

Two: Add the Parmesan to the food processor.

Grated Parmesan added to the food processor.

Three: Keeping the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until it is all combined and you have a smooth pesto.

Oil added to the processor.

Using leftover herbs

We try really hard to reduce our food waste, but herbs is something we can always improve on. We buy a bunch for a recipe and use half of it and then the other half gets forgotten about in the fridge until we do a clear out. This how much waste that adds up to over the year! So, we are going to be sharing our favourite ways to us up fresh herbs, this being one of them.

Spaghetti mixed with pesto and sprinkles with chopped herbs.

This homemade pesto recipe is so simple to throw together that it really isn't that much more complicated than going to the shop to buy some and then opening up the jar. You just throw all the ingredients in to the food processor and whizz it together.

That's why pesto pasta is the ultimate easy weeknight meal. Fresh pasta takes just a few minutes to cook and whilst it is simmering away you can blend up this fresh pesto. Throw in some leftover cooked vegetables and/or some cooked chicken and you have yourself a filling and easy meal.

Can it be made vegan?

Pesto can be a great vegan pasta sauce, as long as you make a vegan version of it. It's easy to make vegan pesto - just swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast. You won't need quite as much though, as it has a strong flavour, but I know some people love that. So it really is a judgement call.

How to use pesto

The great thing about pesto is that it has so many uses. Whilst the classic way is to simply stir it through some pasta, you can also use it as a pizza base, stir it in to cream cheese or yogurt for a dip, spread on chicken and top with cheese before baking or use it in a salad dressing. Never let pesto go to waste!

A plate of spaghetti mixed with pesto.

FAQs

How to store homemade pesto

To keep your pesto fresh, fill a jar almost to the top and then drizzle over a small amount of oil over the top and seal. This can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 weeks if you keep covering the pesto with a little oil each time.

Can pesto be frozen?

You can freeze pesto by putting it in ice cube trays and putting in the freezer. To defrost, you should ideally remove from the freezer and defrost in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you need it defrosted quicker, put a pesto cube in a small bowl or cup and then put that into a larger bowl of hot water. Make sure the hot water doesn't spill into the container with the pesto cube. When the pesto starts to soften, you can cut it into smaller pieces to speed up the defrosting process.

heart icon

Extra tips

• Serve this easy pesto stirred through some fresh cooked pasta for a simple weeknight meal.
• Use a variety of herbs to reduce food waste. Just stick to leafy herbs rather than woody ones.
• Make this homemade pesto vegan by swapping the Parmesan for nutritional yeast, but use less as it has a stronger taste.

Recipes with pesto

  • Halloumi tray bake on a wooden surface.
    Halloumi Tray Bake with Gnocchi and Vegetables
  • A round pink plate with pesto tortellini on it.
    Pesto Tortellini
  • A bowl of pesto salad dressing with a spoon in it.
    Pesto Salad Dressing
  • Chicken pesto pasta on a plate next to a blue towel.
    Chicken Pesto Pasta

If you’ve tried this homemade pesto recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

Recipe

A jar of mixed herb pesto on a wooden surface.

Mixed Herb Pesto

By: Dannii Martin
This Mixed Herb Pesto uses a mixture of 4 different herbs, rather than just basil, so it's a great way to reduce food waste.
The words low carb in a white circle.
Low Carb
4.85 from 26 votes
Pin Print Save recipe Saved!
Course: Sauce/Spread
Cuisine: Italian
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Total: 5 minutes mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 196kcal
Allergens:
An illustration of a carton of milk.
Dairy

Ingredients

  • 2 Garlic clove
  • 25 g (0.25 cups) Parmesan - grated
  • 20 g (0.25 cups) Pine nuts
  • 70 ml (0.33 cups) Olive oil
  • 30 g (1 cups) Mixed fresh herbs - (we used chives, basil, parsley and coriander)
  • 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Add 2 Garlic clove, 20 g Pine nuts, 30 g Mixed fresh herbs and 1 pinch Sea salt and ground black pepper to a small food processor and whizz for a couple of seconds.
  • Add 25 g Parmesan to the food processor.
  • Keeping the food processor running, slowly add 70 ml Olive oil until it is all combined and you have a smooth pesto.

Recipe Tips

  • Serve this easy pesto stirred through some fresh cooked pasta for a simple weeknight meal.
  • Use a variety of herbs to reduce food waste. Just stick to leafy herbs rather than woody ones.
  • Make this homemade pesto vegan by swapping the Parmesan for nutritional yeast, but use less as it has a stronger taste.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 51mg | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 0.7mg

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.

You'll love these too...

  • A red bowl full of cottage cheese tzatziki.
    Cottage Cheese Tzatziki
  • Green Goddess chicken salad on a blue plate with some crackers.
    Healthy Green Goddess Chicken Salad (High Protein)
  • A glass full of strawberry watermelon smoothie next to a blue towel.
    Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie
  • A glass of watermelon slushie with slices of watermelon and lime on the rim.
    Watermelon Slushie (Just 4 Ingredients)

Comments

  1. Alicia says

    July 06, 2022 at 1:55 am

    the 30g of herbs im not exactly understanding, is it 30g for each type of herb (you used 4 types) or is it a typo & should say 300g?

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      July 06, 2022 at 7:28 am

      No, the recipe is correct - 30g of herbs total. The recipe is all about using whatever herbs you have, and we gave a suggestion of what we used. You could just use 30g of one herb, or 15g each of two herbs ect.

      Reply
  2. Susie D says

    June 02, 2021 at 12:07 am

    I am just going to make up a big batch of pesto. I have Parsley, Oregano, Chives, Basil, and Rosemary. Is Rosemary one of the herbs that are considered woody? Would you omit the Rosemary altogether?

    Also, I am using cashews, which I have for most of my batches of basil pesto.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      June 02, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Yes, rosemary is a woody herb and I personally wouldn't add it.

      Reply
      • Susie DeWenter says

        June 02, 2021 at 10:19 pm

        5 stars
        Left the rosemary out and it turned out just great. I had 17 cups of herbs so I made quite a bit. Thanks for the reply.
        Susie D

        Reply
        • Dannii says

          June 03, 2021 at 9:34 am

          Happy to hear you enjoyed it :)

          Reply
    • Hazel says

      January 16, 2022 at 9:39 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. Ratios are just right, Thank you. Used purple basil and parsley with Brazil nuts. Great way to use whatever I have on hand!

      Reply
  3. Danielle says

    May 31, 2021 at 9:52 pm

    4 stars
    Great recipe but the garlic was a little intense for me. Personally I would probably scale down the garlic to one clove.

    Reply
    • Dannii says

      June 02, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      Thanks for your comment. There is 2 garlic cloves in the whole recipe, which serves 4. That makes half a clove per person, which we don't think is that much. But it also depends on the size of your garlic cloves.

      Reply
  4. Joe keery says

    August 29, 2019 at 11:20 am

    Whilst the extremely classic way is to simply with stirs it through some testy pasta, you can also simply use it as a pizza pasta base, stir it in to testy cream cheese or yoghurt for a dip tested, spread on fresh chicken and top with testy cheese before baking or use it before in a salad dressing.

    Reply
  5. Joe says

    May 18, 2019 at 6:10 pm

    5 stars
    But herbs are something we can always improve. We buy a bunch for a recipe and use half of it and then forget the other half in the fridge until we come out.

    Reply
  6. greg says

    May 06, 2019 at 3:09 pm

    5 stars
    This pesto is amazing.

    Reply
  7. Essay says

    April 26, 2019 at 11:18 am

    MIXED HERB is totally best and perfect for icing and baking with any MIXED HERB recipes. It can be simply used as a boiled egg white substitute in baking. I use it to stabilize my buttercream cooking and icing for cake decorating.

    Reply
  8. Assignment Writer says

    April 26, 2019 at 7:09 am

    5 stars
    Pesto is such an incredible standard. It's so easy to make and dependably tastes great. Everybody makes pesto in a nourishment processor. In any case, the surface is better with a mortar and pestle, and it's similarly as quick.

    Reply
« Older Comments
4.85 from 26 votes (7 ratings without comment)

Made this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dannii with a sunset behind her.

Welcome

My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.

Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

About me...

Salad Recipes

  • Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad in a white dish surrounded by crumbled feta.
    Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad
  • A plate of kale, watermelon and feta salad surrounded by watermelon slices.
    Kale, Watermelon and Feta Salad
  • A large bowl of chickpea tuna salad with a serving spoon in it.
    Chickpea Tuna Salad
  • Chopped Blue Cheese Salad in a large white bowl.
    Chopped Blue Cheese Salad
  • A bowl of watercress salad with a wooden fork and spoon in it.
    Watercress Salad
  • Little Gem Salad in a round white bowl.
    Little Gem Salad

Recipe Books

The Hungry Healthy Happy book cover.
The healthy slow cooker book cover.
the front cover of The Picky Plate eBook.

Popular Recipes

  • Leftover chicken pasta on a black plate.
    Leftover Chicken Pasta
  • Mediterranean Rice Salad in a large round serving dish.
    Mediterranean Rice Salad
  • Fourteen healthy flapjacks on a sheet of parchment paper.
    Healthy Flapjacks
  • A tortilla chip being dipped into some nacho cheese sauce.
    2 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
  • Sticky Ginger Beef in a bowl with rice and broccoli.
    10 Minute Sticky Ginger Beef Mince
  • Baked Egg Tortilla in a round baking dish.
    Baked Egg Tortilla (Tortilla Quiche)

Footer

Help & Information

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Advertising
  • Blog

About us

  • About us
  • Newsletter Sign Up!
  • Press enquiries
  • FAQ

Follow us


Featured in

A selection of publications that Hungry Healthy Happy has been featured in

As an Amazon Associate we earn certain commissions from qualifying purchases. By using our site, you agree that we can collect and use your data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright © 2011-2024 Hungry Healthy Happy • All Rights Reserved

  • 15

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.