Every year about this time I make pesto. But not the pesto you may be familiar with. The pesto I make is for the freezer – thicker, more like a light textured paste. Yes, it can be used right away by adding a little more olive oil.
I used a combo of Genovese, lemon basil, and spicy globe miniature basil because I had so much of each. But no worries if you grow just one kind of basil. The pesto will still taste terrific.
Instead of a thick layer of olive oil to coat pesto for freezing, I just brushed a bit on top of the finished pesto. That’s enough to keep air out and prevent pesto from turning dark. The bonus? Flavor isn’t altered with too much oil.
I love pine nuts in my pesto. Most any nut works. Then again, you can make the pesto nut free, too.
Basil pesto “paste” for the freezer
This updated recipe uses more basil than ones I’ve shared. Use the recipe as a guide. I don’t add salt since Parmesan and Romano are salty cheeses.
Ingredients
2 nice cloves garlic
3 tablespoons pine or other nuts or more to taste
1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
5 cups basil leaves, packed – any green basil
1 heaping cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1 cup olive oil or more to make a paste, plus extra for brushing on top
2 tablespoons butter, soft (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Pepper to taste – black or cayenne
Instructions
Food processor:
Have motor running and drop garlic and nuts in. This prevents them getting stuck on the blade. Process until finely minced.
Add parsley, basil and both cheeses. Pulse until finely minced.
With motor running, slowly add oil and process until pesto looks pasty.
Add butter and lemon juice. Pulse until blended.
Add pepper.
Blender:
First, you’ll want to mince the garlic by hand.
Basically, you’ll go in reverse order. Pour olive oil into blender, then with motor running on low, add minced garlic and pine nuts. When they are blended, add parsley, basil, both cheeses and butter. Blend again until smooth. Blend in lemon.
Add pepper.
By hand:
This method produces a rustic looking pesto.
Mince garlic and nuts. Place in bowl.
Mince parsley and basil, then add to garlic mixture. Stir.
Add both cheeses and stir.
Slowly add olive oil and stir until blended.
Stir in butter and lemon juice, then add pepper.
Get pesto ready for refrigerator or freezer:
Spoon into containers.
Brush a little olive oil on top just to coat pesto.
Refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 9 months.
Tip: creative containers
Portion out into freezer bags and lay flat to freeze. You can stack several on top of each other.
I put some in 4 oz canning jars.
I also dolloped some into mini silicone ice cube trays and even clean egg cartons.
When pesto in the ice cube trays and egg cartons freezes hard, I pop the portions out and put them in freezer bags.
Every year about this time I make pesto. But not the pesto you may be familiar with. The pesto I make is for the freezer – thicker, more like a light textured paste. Yes, it can be used right away by adding a little more olive oil.
I used a combo of Genovese, lemon basil, and spicy globe miniature basil because I had so much of each. But no worries if you grow just one kind of basil. The pesto will still taste terrific.
Instead of a thick layer of olive oil to coat pesto for freezing, I just brushed a bit on top of the finished pesto. That’s enough to keep air out and prevent pesto from turning dark. The bonus? Flavor isn’t altered with too much oil.
I love pine nuts in my pesto. Most any nut works. Then again, you can make the pesto nut free, too.
Basil pesto “paste” for the freezer
This updated recipe uses more basil than ones I’ve shared. Use the recipe as a guide. I don’t add salt since Parmesan and Romano are salty cheeses.
Ingredients
2 nice cloves garlic
3 tablespoons pine or other nuts or more to taste
1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed
5 cups basil leaves, packed – any green basil
1 heaping cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Romano cheese
1 cup olive oil or more to make a paste, plus extra for brushing on top
2 tablespoons butter, soft (optional)
Juice of 1 lemon
Pepper to taste – black or cayenne
Instructions
Food processor:
Have motor running and drop garlic and nuts in. This prevents them getting stuck on the blade. Process until finely minced.
Add parsley, basil and both cheeses. Pulse until finely minced.
With motor running, slowly add oil and process until pesto looks pasty.
Add butter and lemon juice. Pulse until blended.
Add pepper.
Blender:
First, you’ll want to mince the garlic by hand.
Basically, you’ll go in reverse order. Pour olive oil into blender, then with motor running on low, add minced garlic and pine nuts. When they are blended, add parsley, basil, both cheeses and butter. Blend again until smooth. Blend in lemon.
Add pepper.
By hand:
This method produces a rustic looking pesto.
Mince garlic and nuts. Place in bowl.
Mince parsley and basil, then add to garlic mixture. Stir.
Add both cheeses and stir.
Slowly add olive oil and stir until blended.
Stir in butter and lemon juice, then add pepper.
Get pesto ready for refrigerator or freezer:
Spoon into containers.
Brush a little olive oil on top just to coat pesto.
Refrigerate up to 1 month, or freeze up to 9 months.
Tip: creative containers
Portion out into freezer bags and lay flat to freeze. You can stack several on top of each other.
I put some in 4 oz canning jars.
I also dolloped some into mini silicone ice cube trays and even clean egg cartons.
When pesto in the ice cube trays and egg cartons freezes hard, I pop the portions out and put them in freezer bags.
About Eating 