Pesto Sauce

pannpatten
pannpatten Posts: 3
in Recipes
I have an amazing amount of basil growing from just one pot. You can only eat so much tomato and basil salad! Does anyone have a recipie for pesto and how to use it. I have never made it but it sounds like you use a lot of oil. I don't mind a few calories that are plant based fat, but I am diabetic and have high bad colesterol so I'd try to avoid anything that would make those things worse. I hate the thought of just throwing so much of the plant away all the time. Just can't think of any more healthy ways to eat it.

Replies

  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    Pesto is a staple in my house. To make it, I pluck and wash the leaves, leaving them in a strainer to drain for a bit. Put as many as will fit in a food processor with whole cloves of garlic, maybe a half cup of olive oil and half a cup of grated cheese. Spin and allow all leaves to become incorporated. If it's too dry, you can actually add water or more oil. I generally add water to keep it lower calorie.
    Some people like to put pine nuts in it as well, but I find the flavor gets lost this way. I prefer to add them whole to the dish.

    You can freeze flat in a ziplock bag and break off hunks as you need them. I use a tablespoon or two on top of broiled salmon, this is how I use it most.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    By the way make the bags thin, only maybe 2/3 of a cup in each 6 x 6 bag and flatten it out before freezing. Thin makes it much easier to handle. For what it's worth, I think I have 20 bags in my freezer at the moment. It tastes just as fresh in March as it was the day you pick it from the garden in the fall.

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