One of my favorite things to make at the end of every summer if fresh pesto in LOTS of batches. Pesto freezes well for several months and only seems to get better the longer it’s frozen. Throughout the year I make chicken, pesto & pasta as a quick meal that’s oh-so-good with this ‘fresh’ pesto.
Here’s the recipe I follow and prefer because it has a slightly bolder flavor:
1 cup well-packed basil leaves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsps. pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt
60g best-quality freshly grated parmesan cheese
Blend basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt until smooth. This can be done most easily in a blender (stop once or twice to stir contents), food processor or large mortar and pestle. When evenly blended, scrape into a bowl and stir in the cheese.
Pour into a tupperware container and store in freezer.
So a couple of tips when making & using your pesto:
1) I’ve doubled this pesto recipe and it works okay, but you if you triple or quadruple it you may find the flavor gets distorted (too “hot” from the garlic, for example).
2) When I cook with the frozen pesto I’ll take it out and leave it on the counter while I cook the chicken. This softens it just enough to scrape out some pesto for your meal.
A great way to enjoy basil from your garden for months and taste a little summer in winter!
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