Basil Pesto – Saving the Harvest

I’ve never had a lot of luck with basil. The plants were always sparse and sad looking. So this year I planted three – and guess what? They did fabulously. I’ve been using basil in everything!!

I’ve preserved some by pureeing it with olive oil and freezing it. And another delicious way to save some basil is by making pesto!

What is pesto?

Not surprisingly, pesto originated in Italy. It is literally the word for “pound”. Traditionally made with a mortar and pestle and pounded and ground into a paste. So really, anything made in a mortar and pestle is a pesto. When we think of it though, we are thinking of pesto alla Genoese – pesto made from basil.

Is pesto always made with basil?

Traditional pesto is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt and fresh (not canned) parmesan cheese. But there are other “pestos” that are delicious, like spinach pesto. Be creative – add some peppers (jalapeño and calabrian are great choices), wine, and anything that sounds good to you. Here are some combinations to try:

• Cilantro, garlic, pepitas, olive oil, lime juice, salt and manchego cheese
• Arugula, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, salt and feta cheese
• Carrot green tops (yes, you can eat them!), sunflower seeds, avocado oil, salt and parmesan cheese
• Sundried tomatoes, parmesan, olive oil, garlic, almonds and capers
• Any herb, any nut, any hard cheese, oil, garlic and salt

Toasting the nuts – 

Toasting the nuts brings out the flavors of the oils, but you have to be careful. If you over toast or burn them, they will taste bitter.

Start with a heavy, preferably cast iron, skillet. Heat it, dry, over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop the nuts into the pan and shake it.

Lay it back on the burner for a second or two and shake again. Repeat until the nuts are golden. If you are using a gas range, you can simply shake over the flames without setting it back on the burner.

As soon as they are brown and fragrant, remove them to a bowl and set aside.

Making Pesto –

You can make this with a mortar and pestle, but I used my food processor – a lot less work! I like to have all my ingredients prepped and measured before I start.

Place the pine nuts and garlic in the food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Pulse one or twice to start breaking it up.

Next, put in the basil, lemon juice and parmesan and

process until its chopped up fine.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and

process until its smooth.  Stir in the salt.

Storing –

You can use the pesto immediately on pasta, vegetables, chicken – whatever sounds good to you. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Or, you can freeze it.

I like to use ice cube trays to freeze any kind of sauce. Measure yours to be sure, but a cube in a standard tray is two tablespoons. Put the pesto into the tray and freeze for at least six hours. It won’t be hard frozen because oil does not freeze.

Once it’s frozen, take them out and

store them in a ziplock freezer bag that has been labeled with what’s in it and the date. Be sure it is for the freezer and not just storage. The cubes will keep in the freezer for about 5 or 6 months.

You can take out what you need when you need it. Just pull out a cube or two and thaw!

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 1 vote

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Basil Pesto

An easy way to keep the flavors of summer basil all year long.

Course: condiment

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil, condiment, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan, pine nuts, sauce

Servings: 1.5 cups

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 3 - 4 large cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup grated fresh parmesan
• 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Toasting the pine nuts

1. Start with a heavy, preferably cast iron, skillet. Heat it, dry, over high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop the nuts into the pan and shake it.

2. Lay it back on the burner for a second or two and shake again. Repeat until the nuts are golden. If you are using a gas range, you can simply shake over the flames without setting it back on the burner.

3. As soon as they are brown and fragrant, remove them to a bowl and set aside. 

Making the Pesto

1. Place the pine nuts and garlic in the food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Pulse one or twice to start breaking it up.

2. Next, put in the basil, lemon juice and parmesan and process until its chopped up fine.

3. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and process until its smooth.  

4. You can use the pesto immediately on pasta, vegetables, chicken - whatever sounds good to you. It will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Recipe Notes

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

To freeze the pesto, I like to use ice cube trays. Measure yours to be sure, but a cube in a standard tray is two tablespoons. Put the pesto into the tray and freeze for at least six hours. It won't be hard frozen because oil does not freeze.

Once it's frozen, take them out and store them in a ziplock freezer bag. Be sure it is for the freezer and not just storage. The cubes will keep in the freezer for about 5 or 6 months.

You can take out what you need when you need it. Just pull out a cube or two and thaw!

Leave me a comment – I’d love to hear your thoughts!