Easy to make and great used as an addition to a recipe to enhance the flavor of food or as a sauce.
6 Basic ingredients and you can have incredible tasting fresh pesto, or you can freeze it up to seven months to add to so many of your favorite dishes from soup to pasta.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Fresh Basil
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 2/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
- 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, (or any nut really)
- 1 Vitamin C tablet, (prevents browning)
- Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Directions:
Put all ingredients into a blender and drizzle in the olive oil while it’s mixing. The Pesto is done when the mixture is completely combined, about a minute. Makes about a Cup.
Now you can use it fresh or freeze it in ice cube trays for future use.
Every year in my garden I start out with these cute little plants, and then before I know it, I have more basil than I know what to do with.
Last year was the first time I did anything but eat it fresh. I have learned to hang it to dry and now how to make up pesto and freeze it for dishes through the winter.
I like making Pesto…and lots of it, because I found it is sooo good in so many dishes. Spaghetti, linguini and clam sauce, soup, rice, top ramen for the kids…it just makes so many things taste so much better!
This is the amount of Basil I picked in one day from my trash can garden.
It’s always tempting to eat pesto by the spoonful because it is so very fresh and wonderful. The flavors of basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil, play so nicely together.
Spread it on sandwiches instead of mayonaise, toss it in pasta dishes or vegetables, great addition to soups or my favorite…spread it on a crusty piece of toasted sourdough bread with fresh mozzarella.
When I first started making it, I used my Cuisinart because it was so quick and I was making massive amounts to freeze, but now I
prefer to cut it by hand. Either way…it really doesn’t matter…just make it and freeze it.
prefer to cut it by hand. Either way…it really doesn’t matter…just make it and freeze it.
I think my blender breaks down the pesto too much, and I really prefer using a good sharp knife or a motar and pestle…which is really great for breaking down the vitamin C.
For this batch I used Pine Nuts, because quite frankly I thought that was the only nut you could use to make pesto. But I was so wrong, because you can use any nut and the flavor is different and unique with which ever one you choose. Walnuts, almonds…really whatever you have on hand will make a wonderful pesto.
Wash your basil and remove the stems and chop.
Chop the nuts
Smash the Vitamin C (This prevents the basil from turning black and keeps it nice and green)
Grate the fresh Parmesan Cheese
Add the freshly ground pepper, salt and olive oil and combine the ingredients together.
So simple…so good.
You can store it in an air tight container or freeze it. I do both.
I use ice cube trays to freeze the pesto. As soon as it is frozen I place the cubes in a zip lock bag to store. The size is perfect to throw in soups or sauces…and the taste stays really robust, even after being frozen for three months.
