Basil Pesto for Freezing
It’s so easy to make delicious basil pesto to freeze for the winter months when basil isn’t easy to get!
Equipment
- Mini food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted*
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 6 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ⅔ cups extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed
Instructions
- Wash your basil leaves and spin them in a salad spinner to dry. Add them to the bowl of a fmini ood processor or a blender and pulse to chop the leaves roughly.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil, to the basil leaves and start the food processor or blender on high. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in until the pesto has a smooth consistency and a creamy texture.
- Using a rubber scraper, transfer the pesto to ice cube trays or small glass jars to freeze.
How to Freeze Pesto
- Spoon your pesto into individual cells of a silicone ice cube tray. Freeze for several hours, until the pesto is fully frozen.
- Pop the frozen cubes of pesto out of the ice cube trays and transfer them to a freezer bag or large jar.
- Label with the contents and the date, then return the container of pesto cubes to the freezer immediately.
Notes
*To toast your pine nuts, add them to a skillet without any oil and warm over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until golden brown
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 62mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 587IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!