What to Do with All this Basil?
Soooo, what does one do with so much basil, knowing that summer is winding down and it’s use it or lose it???
You got it. Make fresh basil pesto!
Ahhhh, pesto. Yummy, earthy, nutty, and pretty healthy. When the kids were little I would occasionally make it for lunch over noodles in the summer. They called it “green noodles.” As in, “Hey, mom, can we have green noodles for lunch?”
Earlier this summer I made cilantro pesto using basically the same ingredients, but substituting cilantro for basil. I ate some, and froze the rest in mini muffin tins (then put the chunks into a freezer bag) so I can enjoy a taste of summer in the depths of winter.
So here is my absolute favorite basic pesto recipe:
Fresh Basil Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 5 cloves garlic (to taste)
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ⅓ cup pine nuts or walnuts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- pinch of salt
- a couple drops of lemon juice to keep it bright green
Here’s the thing about pesto – this is a very basic recipe. You can change it up however you want. You can use any kind(s) of herbs, nuts, add spinach or other greens, and add any spices you like. I occasionally like to throw in some red pepper flakes. I cut back on the oil a bit to make it more healthy, but you can add more oil if you like it creamier. Go crazy! Break all the rules!
I like to toast up the nuts a bit first, and usually throw the garlic cloves in with them in order to get a bit of softening and caramelizing to them. I then take them off the stove and let them cool a little.
Once cooled, I threw everything except the oil into the food processor and pulsed it a couple times. Then I turned it on and drizzled in the olive oil.
And voila! Tasty, green, chunky love….
What all can you do with pesto? I think it is good as a spread on all sorts of things including grilled cheese, schmeared on tomatoes, and glopped on hamburgers. Use it as a dip, or top just about anything with it, including potatoes or salads. I even saw a recipe for chicken pesto soup. How bad can that be? I will have to make some more to freeze! Tonight I am going to use what I have left to spread on a whole wheat pizza crust I have in the freezer from Trader Joe’s, and top it with some caramelized onion and mozzarella. Pesto pizza as a side dish for steak? Yes, please!
But for lunch, I mixed about 2-3 tablespoons with 2 oz of whole wheat pasta, and this is what I enjoyed:
Yes. Yes, it was as good as it looks. And it filled me up! All this deliciousness for only 375 calories.
Zucchini Pesto Pasta
If you have an abundance of zucchini this year like we do, just cut the zucchini into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
Sauté zucchini in a small amount of olive oil and garlic until soft. Mix with cooked pasta and top with a few shakes of fresh Parmesan cheese.
It’s Basil Pesto Delicious!
