Parsley and Basil Pesto to Freeze
Never waste your garden herbs again! These frozen pesto cubes made from basil and parsley pesto are so handy when you’re craving a big bowl of pasta but limited on time! I’ll show you how to make pesto and freeze it! Frozen pesto is good for 6 months making it a great way to use up your garden herbs so they don’t go to waste! This recipe will make 1 cup of pesto and fill up 1-2 ice cube trays. Have a ton of parsley? Double the recipe! In the Winter I’m so happy I spent a little time during the Summer to freeze this pesto! Sometimes all I have time to do is boil spaghetti during the weeknight craziness with the kids, so all I have to do is pop out a couple of these pesto cubes from the freezer and dinner is ready! I hope you like it!
Fresh Parsley Pesto Recipe
This recipe uses 3 cups of packed parsley! Parsley can sometimes grow like a weed in your garden leaving you with just too much! We dry parsley in the oven, eat parsley parmesan pasta, use a bunch for peas and pasta and then freeze this pesto to keep on hand for months to come. Not only do we use parsley for this recipe, but we also throw in fresh basil and garlic making this a total garden recipe, especially popular for us in July and August!
How to make Parsley Basil Pesto
Add all of the ingredients to the food processor: parsley, basil, garlic, nuts, parmesan cheese and olive oil. Like I mentioned in my garlic scape pesto post, I often use pistachios for our pesto recipes, but you can use walnuts or pine nuts if you’d prefer those instead. Blend the pesto until it’s creamy. By the way, this smells so good! You can use right away on pasta, or freeze the pesto for later use (directions right below!). When I make a full box of spaghetti, I usually end up using close to 1/4 – 1/2 cup of pesto.
How to Freeze Pesto Cubes
Spoon the pesto directly into ice cube trays. Cover the trays with lids or plastic wrap and place in the freeze until frozen. I usually let them freeze overnight.
Once the cubes are frozen solid, pop them out of the trays and store them in freezer safe bags. Frozen pesto will last up to 6 months.
How to Use Frozen Pesto for Pasta
When you need a quick meal, cook your pasta noodles according to the package, drain and add back into the pot. While the pasta is still hot, add in frozen pesto cubes. I’d recommend starting with 2 cubes and then adding in more, tasting as you need it. Remember, a little bit of pesto goes a long way! Stir until pesto completely coats the noodles and then serve. Enjoy! Pin for later:
