Recipe File: Basilicious Pesto

Each year I end up with copious amounts of fragrant basil at the end of the season. While I enjoy bruschetta weekly during the summer, what’s a girl to do with all that basil? When life hands you basil, make pesto!

I’ve found that Ball Freezer Jars work perfectly to preserve the basil pesto all winter. It’s wonderful to be able to visit the freezer for a taste of the summery spread in a calzone or on a sandwich.




I have used two different pesto recipes over the years. The first recipe I’m including incorporates all of the ingredients in the jar.

The second recipe doesn’t incorporate the nuts or cheese-they are to be added after unfreezing.

Either way, having frozen pesto on hand is like a finding bright green gem in the middle of winter-when I’m longing for the dog days of August once again.

RECIPE 1:

Ingredients:

4 cups basil leaves

1/2 cup pine nuts

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

3-4 tbsp olive oil, to the desired consistency

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rough chop the garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Add the basil leaves and pulse until mixed, then while mixing, add the olive oil slowly through the chute until incorporated. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste and pulse until combined.

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, or freeze in Ball freezer jars.

RECIPE 2:

My other favorite basil pesto recipe is from Michael Chiarello of NapaStyle fame. 

Ingredients:

(Makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound pasta.)
2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Sea salt, preferably Gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the basil in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the basil and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the basil into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the basil with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the basil and put in a blender. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil. Blend for at least 30 seconds. Pulse to combine.

Freeze in Ball freezer jars. When you’d like to use the pesto, defrost the jar. Add 1/4 cup pine nuts and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese to the pesto and pulse in the food processor until incorporated.