Fresh Basil Pesto
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Basil is sometimes difficult to grow in the Pacific Northwest, however we usually get a nice harvest in mid-late September and make large batches of this pesto to freeze for winter. See our notes below if you plan to freeze your pesto.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1 cup | 30 minutes |
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Basil is sometimes difficult to grow in the Pacific Northwest, however we usually get a nice harvest in mid-late September and make large batches of this pesto to freeze for winter. See our notes below if you plan to freeze your pesto.
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Ingredients
- 4 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves (rinsed and patted dry)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Servings: cup
Instructions
- Remove fresh basil leaves from main stems, rinse and pat dry.
- Place basil leaves in bowl of food processor, along with garlic cloves and pine nuts.
- Pulse all ingredients in food processor until finely chopped.
- Add Parmesan and salt and pulse again to lightly incorporate.
- Add olive oil to food processor and pulse until pesto is at the desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
A note about freezing: ??We often freeze our pesto for use during the winter months in everything from pasta sauce, pizza topping and hearty soups. ??Simply omit the Parmesan and proceed with the basic recipe, pour the pesto into flexible muffin tins or ice cube trays and pop into freezer bags once they are frozen. ??The frozen cubes of pesto can be defrosted or put right into hot sauces and allowed to defrost while cooking. ??We tend to omit the pine nuts, as well, to keep our pesto very basic and add the Parmesan and nuts only if desired once defrosted.