• Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • VIDEO SERIES: Learn to Cook on a Budget
    • How-To & Cooking Tutorials
    • Popular Recipes
  • Meal Plans
    • Weekly Meal Plans
    • Freezer Meal Plans
    • The ORIGINAL 20 Meals for $150 Plans
  • Classes
    • Grocery Savings 101 Workshop
    • Freezer Cooking 101 Workshop
    • Meal Planning 101 Workshop
    • Instant Pot Cooking 101 Course
    • My Efficient Kitchen Course
  • Store
    • COOKBOOK: Feeding Teenage Boys on a Budget
    • COOKBOOK: Learn to Cook on a Budget
    • COOKBOOKS & PREP KITS: MyFreezEasy Freezer Meals
    • Whis-Kid Cooking Lessons
    • Erin’s Favorite Gadgets
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • About
    • Press
  • Login

$5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals and Cooking Tutorials for the Busy Home Chef

Save on Groceries in 2025

Homemade Pesto from the Garden

July 6, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 12 Comments

11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Sign up to receive FREE weekly emails with recipes, coupons and other money saving tips right into your inbox. Become a friend on Facebook too AND/OR join the $5 Meal Plan Family and get meal plans delivered to you each week!

Learn how to make Homemade Pesto from the garden with this simple recipe!

Homemade Pesto from the Garden on $5 Dinners

Because I didn’t use it right away, I froze it in 2 portions…one I plan to use for a chicken pesto recipe, and the other with pasta!

homemade pesto3
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Recipe Saved!

Homemade Pesto from the Garden

How to make Homemade Pesto from the garden!
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Cook Time0 minutes minutes
Servings - 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 tsp mint leaves
  • 2 Tbsp basil leaves
  • 2 Tbsp spinach leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Add pine nuts and mint in the food processor.

 

11 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: Homemade Recipes, How To Cook, Recipes from the Garden Tagged With: cooking tutorial homemade, spinach

Comments

  1. Tiff says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    Seriously, I could gobbled this stuff down by spoonfuls. The mint sounds refreshing. Do you toast your pine nuts?

    Reply
  2. Kim says

    July 6, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    I never realize how much I love pesto until I made it with part spinach (instead of all basil). I always thought it was too strong. But yours with mint in addition I think would be even better! And I never thought of making it without the parmesan, but it certainly would cost less and even be healthier. Thanks for the idea!

    Dr.Kim from FamilyNatural.com

    Reply
  3. Danielle says

    July 6, 2009 at 1:30 pm

    That looks so great! We have never had pesto in a meal before. I am going to have to try it!

    Reply
  4. Mary W says

    July 6, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    I freeze pesto as well. I primarily freeze in small amounts to add to soup, pizza, etc. later in the year. For that I use a muffin tin. Put muffin liners in the tin and a couple of spoons of pesto. After it’s frozen take the pesto and paper liners out and freeze in a freezer bag or container. Take out as many (or few) as you need later.

    I notice you didn’t add parmesan cheese. Is there a particular reason? Cheaper? Or do you add later?

    Reply
  5. dawn says

    July 6, 2009 at 10:04 pm

    Oh Mary, that’s a great idea (the muffin liners)!!!! i made a bunch last year & i think i liked it better in march than i did fresh! someone posted a chicken-pesto quesadilla — such a simple idea — completely addictive! i’ll have to plant some spinach now, just to try this out. d’you think it’d be just as good w/ walnuts instead?

    Reply
  6. LuAnn says

    July 7, 2009 at 2:28 am

    Hubby LOVES pesto!

    Reply
  7. Angela says

    July 11, 2009 at 11:37 am

    I make a pesto with these same ingredients, and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! I add a little parmesan in mine if I have it, and either use it over chicken, pasta, or shrimp/salmon. It is absolutely delicious in summer with seafood or shellfish. Very light and simple. Of course, living on the coast we get cheap fresh seafood, so it’s easier to make a $5 dinner from seafood down here 🙂 Even my 19 month old loves pesto!

    Reply
  8. Ellen says

    July 28, 2009 at 11:43 am

    Pine nuts are not cheap. Can you substitute ?

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    August 24, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    I made this and found a stash in the freezer so I mixed it with diced, grilled chicken, and put it on low carb tortillas with tomatoes and regular greek yogurt. So good!

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      August 25, 2011 at 8:25 pm

      That sounds divine Kelly!!!

      Reply
  10. Lynn says

    September 3, 2011 at 9:32 pm

    I really want to make my own pesto! I will have to try your recipe. My kids gobble down a dish that I make with pesto in it. Chicken with bow tie pasta and diced tomatoes and pesto. Yum!! It will be cheaper if I make it myself!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Chicken, and Spinach, and Pesto! Oh My! « Librarian…Shot the Food! says:
    August 5, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    […] Homemade Pesto from $5 Dinners […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search $5 Dinners

Favorite Meal Planning & Cooking Resources

Whis-Kid Cooking Lessons Grocery Budget Makeover My Freezeasy Erin Chase Store 5DD Freebie Library 20 Meals for $150 Plans

© 2025 5 Dollar Dinners | Disclosure Policy | Copyright Information | Terms of Service/Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Design & Tech Support by Klong Designs



Copyright © 2025 · 5 Dollar Dinners Genesis Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in