Each year, I make sure to harvest the last of the basil in our herb garden before the first frost.
You want to harvest your basil leaves before they flower or they can be bitter, and since basil is very sensitive to the cold, harvesting it earlier than later is always a good idea.
My favorite way to use all that basil is in homemade pesto. And if you have homegrown garlic as well, all the better!
Any variety of basil works in pesto, as does parsley or even mint, if you want to experiment with other herbs. But using basil is how the classic recipe is made.
One thing I love about pesto, besides the taste and how versatile it is (you can use it in pasta, or on crackers, or even stirred into scrambled eggs or on sandwiches) is that "pesto" actually means "to pound or crush" in Italian, so the name itself is merely describing an action, not necessarily ingredients.
Although pesto traditionally uses fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and kosher salt blended with olive oil, you can honestly sub in different herbs of your choice - some nice substitutions are mint, parsley or even sage.
You can also experiment with different types of herbs. Maybe some pistachios, pecans or walnuts.
My recipe is pretty classic, although since I rarely have pine nuts on hand, I often sub in some walnuts. Either is delicious.
(scroll down for the printable recipe card)
Classic Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts or Walnuts
In a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic and nuts to a rough chop. With processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Add the cheese and pulse to just combine, until it's the consistency you desire, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate.
Note: You can freeze your pesto in ice cube trays for longer storage.
That's it! I love tossing the pesto with fresh pasta, but it's also good on grilled salmon, on fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwiches or mixed into mayonnaise or scrambled eggs. And you must try my Cream Fried Eggs with Pesto and Parmesan!
