Pesto is, in a word, scrumptious. I love it. Love it on pasta, on pizza, on sangwiches (yep, with a g, just say it to yourself to get the full effect). So when we started growing basil, obviously, we knew we'd make pesto. After reading about storing it, I came up with a plan for freezing it. Here is the recipe, and the directions for freezing it.
The Recipe: Basil Pesto
What you need:
2 cups basil
1/2 cup pine nuts, walnuts or black walnuts
1/2 cup shredded/grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 fresh garlic cloves
pinch of salt
Combine basil and nuts in a food processor until chopped, use the pulse button. Add garlic and pulse a few more times. Pour in olive oil while the processor is on, using a spatula to scrape the sides every so often. Add the cheese until blended and resembles a pesto consistency. Throw in salt and pulse a few more times. Serve right away or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To store:
Line a mini muffin tin with 12 small dixie cups. Fill the cups 3/4 full with pesto. Put a strip of plastic wrap over the cups and place in the freezer overnight. In the morning, peel dixie cup away from frozen pesto. Place frozen pesto cubes (won't really resemble cubes) in a freezer baggy. Put them in freezer for a later date. While I don't have a picture of the finished product, we've use our frozen pesto on pasta and a pizza and it's fabulous.
I've made 2 batches of pesto, one with pine nuts, one with black walnuts. There's a slight difference in the taste, but not much. The basil is too powerful. You can also either use shredded parm or the kind that you sprinkle on pizza. There is not really a difference.
So there ya have it! Pesto for the winter!
