Homemade pesto is something I’ve been making a few years in a row now, and it’s an excellent way to use up the rest of the fresh basil in your garden before a hard frost. Freeze what you don’t use in ice cube trays to enjoy in the middle of the winter.
How to Use Your Homemade Pesto:
- As a pasta sauce
- Add a little homemade pesto to mayo for a sandwich spread
- Top salmon or chicken with pesto before grilling
- Add to mashed potatoes
- As a baked potato topper
- On homemade pizza as a sauce
- In artisan breads
- Make pesto butter as an appetizer spread
Frugal Tips: Even though fresh Parmesan is somewhat expensive, it’s worth it. A little bit goes a long way. You may also experience sticker shock if you’re purchasing pine nuts for the first time. If you have walnuts at home, they are a good substitute. Some even prefer the taste of walnut pesto to pine nut pesto.
Thanks to the Mommysavers Forum members for the inspiration behind this basil pesto recipe
Basic Homemade Pesto Recipe
A great recipe to make with fresh basil from your garden before the hard frost
Ingredients
- 1½ C. fresh basil leaves
- ½ C. extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ C. pine nuts, toasted (or walnuts)
- ⅓ C. grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Dash of salt
- Pepper or Tabasco to taste
Instructions
- /2 c chopped fresh basil
- /3-1/2 c extra virgin olive oil(just eyeball how ya like it as you go)
- /4 c pine nuts,toasted (or you can sub walnuts)
- /3 c grated Parmesan cheese
- Tbs minced garlic
- /4 tsp chili powder
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays, remove and place in a freezer bag until ready to use.