A non-traditional approach
The ingredients of a traditional basil pesto are generally basil leaves, crushed garlic, coarse salt, a hard cheese like pecorino or parmigiano-reggiano, pine nuts and of course olive oil. In this case, we are using cashews in place of pine nuts. They tend to give the pesto a buttery finish. Now, that’s just our preference, feel free to substitute the cashews for toasted pine nuts. In most cases pesto is served with long pasta, it’s also great as a base for pizza, as a condiment, mixed with cold salads such as potato or macaroni. Imagination is the only limit for usage.
Preserve that basil plant
If you’re growing basil in the garden, you’ll notice the plants can grow quite large. We usually have three or four plants on the grow. Taking the plants down in the Fall and making a batch of basil is a great way to preserve it for use over the winter. Simply put the basil in ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, empty the trays into a ziplock bag, store it in the freezer and grab one when you need it.
Basil Pesto with Cashews
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves packed/fresh
- ½ cup parsley fresh
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup Regianno parmesan
- ⅓-½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine basil, garlic, parsley and cashews in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add the cheese and blend.
- With the food processor running, drizzle the olive oil until the mixture gains the consistency of a stiff paste. Adding more oil from here will thin it out.
- Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator in a small bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.Or it can be frozen in ice cube trays or portioned in 1 Tbsp measures onto a metal tray and frozen. Once frozen, remove from tray and place in a freezer bag. It will keep for approx. 6 months in the freezer.Thaw in refrigerator.
