Batch Cooking 101: Pesto
Today’s post is inspired by reader Michelle, who admits to ‘wanting to get better at batch cooking to fill the freezer,’ presumably for easy dinners. I have just the recipe to get her, and hopefully the rest of you, started!
In one word: pesto. This magical fragrant green sauce can quickly jazz up vegetables, pasta, rice, pizza, toast and sandwiches. It’s easy to make, and now that basil is at its best (in season), the blossoming bunches are ripe for the picking.
Traditional basil calls for pine nuts but I’ve completely skipped them this year; their price has almost doubled recently (thanks to poor crop conditions and labour-intensive harvesting procedures) and other nuts make a suitable replacement. I like to use walnuts or pecans, but usually opt for a nut-free version and use pumpkin seeds in place of any nut. I bolded that last sentence because this means pesto can now make it’s way into the school lunchbox!
This pesto is completely freezable, making it totally worth the extra 15 minutes it will take to make a triple batch of this recipe. I like to portion mine out in muffin tins and/or ice cube trays, and my friend Julie has a great idea for using plastic wrap that just might work for you, too.
Find the full printable recipe here: Basil Pesto
