Fresh Basil Pesto

We grow lots of Italian Basil in our garden every summer. Usually it reached "hedge" status by mid-August and we have a "Pesto Party" with a dozen or so friends to make loads of pesto for the coming winter.

This year our basil was adversely affected by the cold summer weather and we didn't harvest much.  We had enough for a few batches, though.  Here's our tried and true pesto recipe.

Start with 1 cup of fresh basil and 1 cup of fresh parsley.  Put these herbs in a food processor with 4-6 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup Romano cheese, 1/3 cup walnuts, and 1/4+ cup quality olive oil.

Process all ingredients until a thick paste forms.  I spread my pesto on a long sheet of wax paper, roll and wrap to form a
"log" like this:

Then I wrap that log in a long sheet of plastic wrap to keep it fresh in the freezer.

When I want to use some I just peel back the plastic wrap and cut through the wax paper. Approximately 2 inches of this pesto log will season a pound of cooked pasta, tortellini, ravioli... We add more olive oil to the thawed pesto as needed.

If you have a large food processor, 11 cups or more, you can double this recipe and make 2 logs at once.

This pesto can be mixed with cheese for a 16 inch pizza.  Just top it with fresh tomatoes or roasted red peppers for a fantastic meal.  It is a great addition to bechamel sauce for meat and fish dishes.

Here's link to an interesting Food Network page if you're a pesto lover:

50 Things to Make With Pesto