Whether you add it to your chicken, throw it on a sandwich, or eat it straight from the jar with a cracker, there's no denying that pesto is delicious in all its simplicity.

Requiring only a handful of basic ingredients, most pesto recipes are accessible and simple for even the most novice of home cooks. If you have pine nuts, basil, parmesan, and a few other pantry ingredients, plus a food processor or a mortar and pestle, you're well on your way to making fresh pesto.