Bottling Up Summer Flavors

Did you know that pesto freezes well? I didn’t until a few years ago. Game changer! Since then, I set aside one afternoon a summer to make jars of pesto. I do it once, in bulk, and then we enjoy the savory and spicy sauce all year long.

My recipe is a mash-up of Ina Garten's, Giada de Laurentiis's (the link here is to her delicious Eggplant Pesto recipe), and my Mom's. Since I make in bulk, I use the linked recipes for guidance but after all these years, I can pretty much wing this recipe. It's easy to mix and match nuts and greens for fun spin off pesto ideas for weeknight cooking, but for the bulk pesto to freeze, I keep it classic:

Basil
Garlic
Walnuts & Pignoli Nuts - toasted
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Pecorino Romano

Pecorino Romano? Ok, maybe it's not a classic recipe. I don't always have Parmesan in my frig but I'm always stocked with Romano. I prefer the tang of the aged sheep's milk cheese and have several go-to sauce/soup recipes that require a cup of Romano stirred in at the end for finishing.

Here's the other reason why I opt for Pecorino Romano: I go light on the salt. (Romano has a bit less salt than Parmesan.) When I cook noodles I use a good deal of salt in the pasta water. I also tend to use salty cheeses or meats in my pasta dishes so it is best to keep it light in the pesto. It's a delicate balancing act because the salt in the pesto really makes the nuts, basil, and garlic sing. Romano does the job and almost gives the pesto a creamed texture that we really love. (Think Almond Butter creamy as opposed to Peanut Butter creamy).

#KitchenAcumen Tips:

Making the Pesto:

A simple recipe requires fresh, quality ingredients:
- Use kosher or sea salt
- The pepper should be freshly ground
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil only (should come in a glass green bottle to be authentic, learn more about food scams on this episode of America's Test Kitchen Podcast: Proof)
Toast the nuts. It softens the bitter/raw flavor (watch closely, they burn fast!)
Don't skimp on the pignolis, they are worth it. One year I only used walnuts and the taste was so noticeably different that my husband bought pignolis the next time he saw them in the store "just so I'd have them to make pesto."
Play with proportions until you love it. I use the linked recipes above as guidance but then tailor to our tastes (less salt, more garlic, more pepper). I taste as I go and enlist my husband's tasting prowess when I need a second opinion.

Using the Pesto:

Speaking of pignolis, I usually top a dish that features my pesto with a 1/8-1/4 c. of freshly toasted pignolis. They don't keep forever, they look fancy, and it's usually a vegetarian dish that can use something extra.
Use different size jars so you can defrost the amount that makes the most sense.
Substitute pesto for fresh basil. This summer we made Caprese salad with pesto instead of basil leaves and cubed tomatoes/mozzarella to swirl in the sauce. I also will use a dollop of pesto in marinara when I don't have fresh basil or a desire to go to the grocery store for one ingredient.
Ina Garten's recipe taught me to drizzle a "seal" of olive oil on the top of the jar. This helps the pesto last longer in the freezer.