Whipping up a batch of basil pesto sauce is a delicious way to use fresh basil. Whether you grow your own basil or buy it fresh from the grocery store, this homemade sauce tastes far better than the store-bought kind.
And in case you don’t know, you can’t freeze basil to preserve it. In fact, if the fall temperatures dip even close to freezing, the basil growing in your garden will get black on the tips of the leaves.
But, you can, in fact, freeze basil if it’s made into pesto sauce. So, if you have more basil than you know what to do with, grab yourself some small ziploc freezer bags and make lots of batches of pesto to use all winter long!
And if you find yourself with some extra tomatoes on hand, whip up a batch of this delicious salsa to accompany your pesto.
I have two types of basil growing in my garden. In this pot, I planted basil seeds. Yes, they’re perhaps more crowded than they ought to be, but I’m pretty please with the number of healthy-looking leaves I have on those plants.
Compare that to the basil plants I bought from the store. For some reason, the leaves on these plants are smaller, and the plants get those long stems at the top. The leaves from any of my basil plants taste delicious, though, and I even use those little flowering parts in my pesto if they’re soft. (They’re soft until late in the season.)
Assembling the Basil Pesto Sauce
Gather your ingredients! Cut fresh basil leaves if you have them or use fresh leaves from the grocery store. I like walnuts and plenty of garlic. Use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for best flavor. A food processor works best for quickly chopping and combining the ingredients.
And hey, I made you a quick video of making pesto. Check it out!
Now, what do you do with your delicious basil pesto sauce? The easiest is to add it to 1 pound of pasta and serve it for an easy lunch or dinner. Pesto is also great on sandwiches and even as a sauce for gourmet pizza.
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Basil Pesto Sauce
Ingredients
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Process garlic and walnuts in food processor.
- Add basil, salt, and olive oil; process.
- Add butter and Parmesan cheese; process.
Nutrition Facts
Basil Pesto Sauce
Serves: 6
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 297 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 37g | 56.9% | |
| Saturated Fat 8g | 40% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol 19mg | 6.3% | |
| Sodium 457mg | 19% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 4.5g | 1.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
| Sugars | ||
| Protein 7g | ||
| Vitamin A 457 IU | Vitamin C 2mg | |
| Calcium 188mg | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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