Basil Pesto has amazing flavor and is wonderful fresh. It is a wonderful way to preserve the basil from your garden to have into winter.

Even though I’m only about 3/4 unpacked from moving, I’ve decided to take a trip with my mom to Denver to visit our good friends. We won’t be able to go again until spring because of the snow. So off we go. I can finish unpacking while it’s snowing.

As I prepared to go and leave the Hardworking Husband behind, I needed to work on the plants a little. The basil was well beyond needing to be harvested. So I took the scissors to it. I decided since I didn’t have a lot of time I would just make pesto and freeze it. It’s a great way to use up basil and have it during the winter. I don’t know if you know this, but pesto is expensive to buy in the store, but pretty cheap to make if you grow your own basil.

And if you’ve never grown your own basil or just want to be more successful, check out our Tips for Growing Basil.

Basil is a fairly easy plant to grow and you will reap a lot from each plant. After cutting it back, it will grow a lot more. One plant can produce enough to make quite a few batches of this Basil Pesto.

This Basil Pesto is super easy to make and you can have pesto with a few minutes. And then you can use the pesto immediately. It will store in the fridge for a long time. However, be aware that it has no preservatives and will oxidize in the fridge. The great flavor will remain, but the top with turn a little brown. Just stir it in and enjoy.

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Basil Pesto

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Basil Pesto has amazing flavor and is wonderful fresh. It is a wonderful way to preserve the basil from your garden to have into winter.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems off
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2/3 cup nuts (pine, almonds, walnuts or pecan)
• 3/4 cup olive oil, a little less if you want it thicker
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Wash basil and pat dry. Put basil, cheese, garlic, & nuts in food processor. I mince my garlic before I add it just so there is no big clump of garlic.
2. Turn on and combine ingredients. Drizzle in oil. My food processor has a little hole in the lid for drizzling oil. If yours doesn't, just drizzle through the feed tube. Once all oil is combined, scrape down sides and mix for a little longer.
3. Remove lid and blade. Scrape out the pesto into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for later use.
4. Or pour into ice cube tray and freeze for a few hours. Then remove and put into a ziptop bag and back into the freezer. It's a great way to have basil on hand without it going bad. 1 batch will fill one standard size ice cube tray.

Notes

Traditional pesto has pine nuts. However, you can use your favorite nut.

This recipe has no preservatives. It will oxidize in the fridge. The top will turn a little brown. It is still edible. Just stir it in and enjoy.

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  KitchenAid 14-Cup Food Processor

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