Freshly made Pesto is easily preserved by freezing it in ice cube trays and then popping out the cubes into a freezer container to use at a later time.
Did you know that most commercial Pesto uses nuts of some form as fillers? This is troubling, because so many people have allergies to nuts these days.
This Pesto recipe is pesto in it’s traditional form – basil leaves, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
Pesto is often used in Italian sauces, but you will also find it today with recipes for Baked Brie or Stuffed Portabello mushrooms.
Enjoy!
Pesto
Print recipe| Serves | Makes 2 cups |
| Inspiration | Silver Palate |
Ingredients
- 2 Cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 4 Good sized garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 1/4 Cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Directions
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Wash the basil and pat dry or use a salad spinner  | |
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Combine the basil and garlic in the a blender or bowl of a food processor and chop.  | |
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Leave the motor running and add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.  | |
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Shut the motor off, add the cheese, a pinch of salt and a liberal grinding of pepper.  | |
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Process briefly to combine, then scrape out into a bowl and cover until ready to use. If you cannot use it all in the foreseeable future, then scoop it into a clean ice cube tray, cover lightly with plastic wrap and freeze  | |
| When frozen, move the pesto cubes to a zip lock bag or plastic container. You can use it a cube at a time in anything that requires pesto. You can easily cut the cubes in half, since they are so full of oil, they will cut even when frozen. | |