Basil Pesto
When you have more basil than you know what to do with – make pesto. Heck, this stuff is so good you should hunt down bunches of fresh basil so you can make and freeze classic basil pesto. Or, in spring, when basil is just starting to grow, make nettle pesto with stinging nettle.
Pesto pasta, pesto pizza, pesto on eggs, pesto in bread, pesto dip, pesto sandwich spread, pesto salad dressing, pesto veggie topping – what will you use your basil pesto for?
We used it as a base for our pizza last night. While we love our typical tomato pizza sauce, this basil pesto was a nice change and perfect to go with garden fresh tomatoes.
We also tried the pesto with some spiralized zucchini noodles. A splash of oil and garlic, toss in 1-2 tbsp of pesto, heat for 1 minute, toss in noodles, add fresh chopped tomatoes and a few pine nuts. Heat for 2-3 minutes remove from heat and add bits of goat cheese. Fantastic dinner in about 5 minutes!
This recipe is made with classic pesto ingredients – garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, oil and salt. My pantry staple is canola oil, so that’s what I used. And when I can’t find or afford pine nuts I have no problem using walnuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. We even used hazelnuts one time.
How to Prevent Basil Pesto from Turning Brown
Basil that is cut and exposed to air will oxidize (turn dark). It’s perfectly safe to eat, just not very pretty.
If you want to preserve the bright green colour, here are two options.
- Coat with oil. Coat the cut basil or finished pesto completely in oil so that it is completely surrounded in a layer of oil so no air can penetrate. When making pesto freezer cubes, quickly process the pesto and transfer it to ice cube trays and add a layer of oil. Do several small batches so you can work quickly and coat each batch in oil in between processing.
- Blanch Basil. Blanching will lock in that green colour by stopping the enzyme action that causes discolouration. Be sure to prep everything ahead of time, so you’re ready to move through all the steps quickly. Once blanched and cooled, you no longer need to rush through any steps – you’ve locked in the colour.
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
- Add washed and trimmed basil to boiling water.
- Submerge only for 10 second and watch green colour intensify. Scoop out and immediately transfer to ice water bath.
- Shock in ice water bath until cooled completely.
- Remove to strainer and drain as much water as possible.
- Pat dry to remove excess water before using in pesto.
Recipe for Basil Pesto
Classic Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 2/3 cup pine nuts, walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds
- 3 cloves fresh garlic or more
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Wash and gently dry basil leaves. Set aside.
- In food processor, coarsely chop pine nuts and garlic.
- Add basil leaves, Parmesan cheese and salt and process until well blended.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as desired- more salt, garlic or cheese?
- With processor running pour oil into basil mix to create a paste.
- Fill ice cube tray and freeze.
- Once frozen, transfer cubes into a freezer bag and seal well.
- Keep for 3 to 6 months in freezer.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
There’s nothing difficult about this recipe, but it does take some time to pick, wash and dry the basil. Lucky for me, my friend Randi came to help! She’s an excellent basil washer.
Process ingredients in food processor.
Taste and adjust seasoning, then drizzle in oil and process until desired smoothness.
More Ways to Enjoy Basil
Panzanella Salad – Tomato, Bread & Basil Salad
How to Dry Basil in the Microwave
How to Dry Basil in a Dehydrator
Want to learn more? How about a preserving workshop with Getty? Getty Stewart is an engaging speaker and writer providing tasty recipes, time-saving tips, and helpful kitchen ideas to make home cooking easy and enjoyable. She is a Professional Home Economist, author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, mom and veggie gardener.