Basil Pesto
October 1, 2009
When the first fall frost is fast approaching, making pesto is the perfect distraction from the depressing thoughts of Old Man Winter knocking on my door. Bright green basil leaves strewn all over the kitchen…fingers green from picking the leaves off the stems and stinky and sore from peeling garlic.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil, the good stuff
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- 1 tspn. coarse salt
Preparation
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor.
- Puree until a paste forms, stopping a few times to push down basil. Stop here if you plan to freeze* the pesto.
- Add cheese and salt; blend until smooth. Use immediately.
*Freezing Pesto
For a taste of summer all winter long:
- Fill a 1-quart freezer bag 1/3 full. Seal.
- Flatten the bag so that the pesto spreads out and fills the bag evenly. Freeze.
You end up with a 1/2” thick slab of frozen pesto that can be easily divided with a sharp knife into any amount you need. Don’t forget to add the parmesan and salt after it thaws!
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