Our garden is doing fabulous this year, but with 3 basil plants I have to work to stay on top of it now that they are proliferating so quickly. I decided over the weekend to try my hand at freezing pesto, and to try the ice cube tray method for the first time, so we can better portion it. I’ve used this pesto recipe in the past, but decided to try a different one this time, and I think I liked it better. It froze really well too, this picture is pre-freezing, I popped them out of the tray today after running some hot water over the bottom to loosen them up a bit. Then I put them in ziplock bags (usually 3-5 cubes per bag) and stuck them back in the freezer for later use.
Fresh Basil Pesto (from Simply Recipes)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation:
Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.
