Pesto!

So what can you do with all those basil leaves your herb garden is overrun with at the end of the season? My friend Paula (who's one heck of a good cook) shared this recipe and idea with me:

Pesto

2 Tbsp. pine nuts (or walnuts)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1¼  cups fresh basil leaves

2 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

2 oz. Pecorino or Romano cheese, grated

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (minus 2 Tbsp.)

• Place pine nuts, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, and the cheeses in the bowl of a food processor.
• Pulse to chop the basil.
• With the machine running, add the oil gradually and process until creamy and smooth.

I usually double (or triple) this recipe. Then, using ice cube trays, I fill each opening with pesto, freeze it solid, food-saver each individual frozen cube, and use the pesto as I wish from the thawed pesto cubes. This way you can have fresh homemade pesto well into the winter. I use pesto not only in pasta dishes, but also as a base sauce for pizza when I want something different than a tomato sauce base.