Basil Pesto

Basil going wild in your garden?

Bad news: basil doesn’t like cold weather, so we’re approaching the end of its growing season.

Best news: you can make basil pesto, freeze it, and use it all throughout the winter!

Watch the video for how to make this pesto HERE.

I make a dairy-free version. I feel like it freezes better (Parmesan cheese can be weird when frozen) plus the nutritional yeast gives the pesto an extra nutty flavor.

Place the following in a high-speed blender:

3 cups basil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil from @oldcountryoliveoil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

Blend. Add to silicone molds. Freeze. Pop out of the molds and store in a container or freezer bag all winter.

Pesto pasta replaced Mac-n-cheese in our house years ago. Kids can simply boil some of their favorite noodles. Then take one of the pesto cubes out of the freezer, place in a microwave-safe dish, add 1-2 tbs water or lemon juice and microwave 1 min!

Pour over cooked noodles. So easy and great when kids need a simple meal they can make themselves.

I even send bags of pesto cubes to College Station for my college kids. Beats Ramen noodles! 😜

What’s your favorite dish to make with basil pesto?