My basil is getting sad. It’s been SO hot. Thankfully, I have made lots of pesto already. I still hope I get more from these bushes.
My recipe is simple and uses no nuts.
I fill my food processor with basil leaves that I have picked and washed. This is 4-1/2—5-1/2 cups because I press it in there a little.
I add: 3-6 garlic cloves, depending on size ( I cut them up a little bit)
2-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
I then put the lid on and turn on to low setting. As it processes, I slowly add olive oil. I use about 9 Tablespoons but it can take a little more or less , depending on how many leaves I pushed into the bowl in the first place. Scrape the sides once or twice. The pesto should be quite thick, not watery.
I spoon into empty ice cube trays and freeze.
Once frozen, transfer to a baggie or other freezer container and enjoy all winter!
Homemade pesto is the best! I’ve made one batch, but need to make some more. Thanks for the reminder. Yum!
I need to make more as well
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
I have been meaning to make pesto. Why don’t you use nuts?
I use my pesto in vegetable soup quite frequently. I just don’t want nuts in there. In the beginning, I found this recipe and liked it, so I just keep making it. After finding it, I realized how expensive pine nuts are and was thankful I had found a way to make it without them, for budget reasons.
This post brought back great memories. When I lived in Seattle, three couples would get together late August to make pesto. Our recipe was 2 parts basil to 1 part curly parsley, and olive oil. The parsley stretched the basil and was less expensive since we omitte nuts and the cheese. We’d rotate the annual party year to year because, let’s just say it was a big green mess by the end of the day and processing. The goal was for each couple to take home a gallon of pesto..Yum… Cheers,
A gallon is SO much! I have a hard time imagining how much basil that project took, even with parsley. What fun!