Pass the Pesto, Please

A few days ago I decided to Just Ask Rosietm for some ideas on what to do with my fresh basil. Pesto was one of the helpful ideas that Rosie gave me, so I went to work.

The first step was to find a recipe I wanted to use. As I had some nice roasted and salted pecans on hand, I searched for a pesto recipe featuring pecans. You might notice that this is a vegan recipe, but since we have no problem with eating real Parmesan cheese, I simply substituted that for the soy cheese.

And now, on with the show.

The mise en place (clock-wise from upper left): fresh basil (wash and pat dry just before use), sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese (I have parmigiano-reggiano on hand), roasted and salted pecans, garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.

First, chop 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor.

Add 2 cups packed basil leaves, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cloves chopped garlic, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Briefly process. Stream in up to 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil until the desired consistency is reached. Do not over-process.

I followed Rosie's advice and portioned the pesto into an ice cube tray. I then covered it in plastic wrap and froze.

A couple of days later I popped the pesto portions out and placed them in a zip-top bag before placing them back in the freezer.

Thanks Rosie!