Classic Pesto with Yellow Tomatoes
As the summer shades into fall, herb-garden growers are faced with a dilemma: what to do with the last of our basil? If you’re anything like me, you’ve watered and de-budded and cherished your basil all summer long so that you could eke every last leaf out of it. (For first-time growers, know that pinching off those buds is very important — left to its own devices, basil will flower at the expense of growing leaves, and you’ll be left with nothing but a fairy spire of tiny white flowers.)
There are several ways to preserve your basil: you can carefully strip the leaves off the plant, swish them in cold water, leave them to dry, and then toss the leaves in a freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze them. You can do the first three steps, extend the third, and then stash the completely dry leaves in spice jars. Or you can make pesto!
Bear in mind that these amounts are only guidelines — if you’re a big fan of pinenuts, feel free to add more. Likewise for the basil and Parmesan. The garlic should probably be kept to a minimum, though, since you’re eating it raw…unless you have a phobia of vampires. Or going out on a date. Then again, if you’re sautéeing the garlic, use as much as you like.
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 T. pinenuts
1-2 cloves garlic (if you don’t care for raw garlic, sautée it over low heat for 2-3 minutes in the olive oil to mellow its flavor)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)
Place first five ingredients in a small blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. (Add more oil if necessary.) Salt and pepper to taste. You may want to add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice for a brighter flavor; the lemon will also help keep the basil from turning black. (Just be careful not to add too much — the acidity of the lemon can easily overcome the delicate nature of the basil.)
Toss the pesto with warm angel-hair pasta, serve it with toasted pita chips, spread it on top of a home-made pizza, or bake it with chicken — the possibilities are endless. This amount is plenty for one plate of pesto-laden pasta, but multiply it by the number of guests at your table to make sure there’s enough to satisfy everyone. You can store the pesto in the refrigerator for up to a week if pour a thin layer of oil over the top to protect the basil from browning.
Enjoy!
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Tags: basil, garlic, italian, olive oil, pasta, pesto, pinenuts
