The other day I was wandering through the produce section at our local market and stumbled upon “live basil” it was gorgeous and the scent was simply intoxicating. I immediately tossed two into my cart and thought they’d be the perfect replacement for the three basil plants that I have already managed to kill this summer. Most plants meet an early demise when under my care, but that hasn’t stopped me from planting them year after year.
I got home, put away the groceries and managed to drag a bag of potting soil through the house and onto the back deck – leaving a nice trail of dirt across the kitchen tile and living room carpet. Why didn’t I take it around the house? That would be because it’s hot and I’m lazy; therefore, I’m not all about the outdoors right now – or ever really. So I cleaned up the mess and headed out back clad in a nasty apron, gardening gloves and toting a mini shovel.
I successfully got the dirt into the pot without issue, dug a little hole and removed the “live basil” plant from its containerto read the following bold message:“Not recommended for planting.” And there you have it, folks – a typical moment in my home. In my defense, the market does sell fresh herbs for planting – these just weren’t those plants.
Moral of the story: When life hands you two huge basil plants that aren’t recommended for planting – make basil pesto and lots of it. Oh, and words in bold usually indicate something important.
This basil pesto recipe is loaded with bold flavors and tastes stellar with a loaf of fresh, crusty bread. It’s also pretty fab as a pasta sauce, a spread for sandwiches and a topping for roasted vegetables.
More Pesto Goodness:
Tomato Basil Dip from i am mommy
Pressed Sandwiches from Simple Bites
Almond Herb Tarts with Dandelion Pesto from Roost
Garlic Scape Pesto and Mushroom Pizza from My Kitchen Addition
Fresh Basil Pesto
Yield: about 1 ½ cups
Ingredients:
3 cups packed fresh basil
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted until golden and cooled
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to tasteDirections:
In a food processor or blender, combine basil and about 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, blend into a paste. Add pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes:
- Basil Pesto can be made up to three days in advance. Refrigerate it in a sealed container.
- If you cannot find pine nuts, you can substitute them with a variety of other items such as walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios.
- If you prefer your basil pesto to be a little thinner, simple drizzle in more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.
- If you are unsure how to toast the pine nuts, check out this guide on How to Toast Nuts.
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{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
Ok, I LOVE this story – so honest. I too have somehow overlooked important instructions because I am so set on an idea, only later to find out I totally missed the boat. So, you’re in good company – and soon I’ll be in good company with some delicious food thanks to a great recipe for some fresh pesto pasta – YUM!
I’m glad to know that I am in good company!
-Jamie
Mmmhhh, lovely! There is nothing better than homemade pesto. Yours looks wonderful.
Great clicks too!
Cheers,
Rosa
I plant those all the time! I also cut the tops off, root them in water, and plant those. I’ve turned a single live basil plant into 5 or 6 several times…just do it!
Thanks for the info, Jen!
I have never had homemade pesto but now I really want it!
Did you know you can freeze basil pesto?!? Just put it into a freezer container that has a lid, add a thin layer of olive oil on the top, put it in your freezer… Freezes wonderfully, and when you thaw it in the winter, you will love yourself all over again for making it up!
Great tip, Cindy! Thanks for sharing.
The only thing to remember when freezing pesto is that you should leave the cheese out until you’re ready to use and have defrosted. Cheese shouldn’t be frozen. Otherwise, I love pesto too! Other cheese to try in this – Parrano. It’s a mix of Parmesan and Romano in one lovely very hard cheese. I’m not a huge Parmesan fan but Parrano is a great substitute.
I love it when I’m not the only one who does things like this. The pesto looks amazing.
I love home-made pesto – there is nothing like it. Your pictures are amazing!
Ann-
You are so sweet, thank you so much!
-Jamie
This sounds amazing! I love trying new pesto recipes. Thanks!
It will keep MUCH longer than that in the fridge as long as there is a layer of olive oil on top.
Thanks for the tip, Katrina!
The best raw sauce in the world! So simple and quick to make.
Thanks @JeninWA for the tip on our to build a sustainable basil supply!
LOLOLOL I couldn’t help but laugh at this post; you just described me to a T (whatever the T stands for, I really never knew)
I can not TELL you how many times I have dragged the soil through my house because I did not want to walk it all the way around the back of the house.
And yes, I actually planted those store bought plants THREE times before I saw the little “warning label”.
Luckily I got some from a garden center and with Bonnies Plant food my basil THRIVED. Until we went on a 9 days vacation and it died.
Sigh!
Love love the story and will definitely be making this recipe.
Have I mentioned I completely ADORE your blog?
☺
Cheers
Tara-
I am so glad that I am not alone with all my randomness! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words!
-Jamie
We love to have fresh basil in summer. I haven’t had luck doing basil in pots, but we pluck it right into the dirt in the backyard in our make shift garden next to the tomatoes (gives them a great flavor) and voila, we get more basil than we know what to do with. I do water the garden frequently as it is very hot here in Nashville. But maybe doing pots is the reason for failure. I’m not sure why they like the ground most. We just made some recently with walnuts because the price of pine nuts is around $25 a pound right now. Another trick I learned from Marcella Hazan is to add a tablespoon of soft butter at the end. The pesto gets super creamy.
I looooove pesto! I have managed to kill my plants this year, though – it just wasn’t meant to be, I guess. But there’s always next year…!
I live in south alabama and have really good luck planting the basil from seeds. I grow it in the holes of cinder blocks around the peremiter of my garden. I can plant 4 blocks from one packet of seed. It just goes wild and the pesto is wonderful. I like walnuts better than pine nuts and I agree with the olive oil on top….it freezes wonderfully. I also expermined with freezing the leaves this year. I washed and spin dried them……then sprayed them with my misto with olive oil, layed them out flat on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and froze in a single layer…..when frozen layer them in a tupperware bowl and refreez. They came out great. Pesto is such a wonderful little joy in life!
I just made basil pesto last week and I used the basil from the plant that I haven’t killed. Which is quite surprising considering I have no green thumb. So delicious and it’s so wonderful when you can use the freshest ingredients.
Love the pictures, Jamie!
I just found your blog and love it! The photography is beautiful and all your recipes are intoxicating! Pesto is one of my favorite sauces as you can make so many versions of it based on your mood. My favorite is one I made with cilantro and cashews.
I adore pesto. The pine nuts is an interesting addition. I was just thinking about a pesto pasta dish, and lo and behold, here is your recipe. Thanks.
I love making basil pesto; it’s one of my favorite things to make and use for the week on salads, omelets and grilled veggies. Lovely recipe!
Nothing beats freshly made pesto slathered on a nice slice of bread. Yum!
Too funny – I just got intrigued by the same “live basil” at my market… only to find you can’t plant it!
I love basil! I keep harvesting some to make pesto, and then never get around to it and the basil dries out. Such a bummer. I need to make a commitment to my fresh basil that I will put it to good use this week
I just made pesto yesterday too! My basil plants were getting huge! I had never made it before, so simple and very tasty!
I can’t imagine a rooted plant that can’t be planted…someone just wants you to keep buying those instead! My basil is taking off now but struggled a bit at first. Lots of water at first, then not so much…how’s that for guidelines?
I love pesto but I do not love the price of pine nuts; they are out of control, so I’ve been using toasted walnuts instead and loving it.
I love your homemade basil pesto.It looks very delicious. I simply love it in pasta with breaded chicken! Yummy! I guess I need to start planting Basil plants.
I made this recipe last night and it turned out wonderfully. Thank you for the great and easy-to-follow recipe!
I made this and it was a huge hit. We put this on french bread and added some spinach dip with it which really enhanced that dip. It’s got to be good on pizza or pasta dishes also.
Glad I saw this. I have Basil coming out my ears and I don’t want to freeze ALL of it.
I love pesto and have lots of home grown basil
I need to finally try to make my own