Recipes
How to freeze Genoese pesto for next winter
Do you have any fresh basil? Take advantage of this now to make and freeze Genoese pesto for next winter!
Freezing Genoese pesto so you can have it delicious all winter long (without having to buy packaged pesto) is a truly brilliant idea ! Genoese pesto, or the sauce of basil, pine nuts, oil and Parmesan, can be prepared in larger quantities, so you can freeze it and always have a supply ready.
How to make pesto?
Let's start with the Genoese pesto recipe . The doses will depend on how much pesto you want to make, calculating that 50 grams of basil leaves are enough to season the pasta for 4 people. The rest of the ingredients also vary in quantity as desired , depending on whether you want it oilier, tastier, with or without garlic, etc.
The preparation is very simple : crush the ingredients in a mortar, or in a mixer, to obtain a creamy sauce. Now that we have made the pesto, let's see how to freeze it.
How to freeze pesto
The most effective method is to pour the Genoese pesto into ice molds. There are both plastic and silicone molds on the market: we clearly recommend the silicone ones , which are more comfortable.
- Once you have prepared the Genoese pesto, fill the ice container with it.
- Each cube will more or less correspond to the seasoning of an 80 gram portion of pasta.
- Let the pesto freeze in the ice molds overnight, then transfer these pesto cubes to a frozen food bag, and leave in the freezer until needed.
This is our quick and practical advice, alternatively you can also freeze it in a sterilized glass jar , for a more generous dose. Naturally, use and portioning will be more complicated.
Calculate that the pesto will be excellent for several months .
Read also
Basil cubes
How to defrost basil pesto
We have two methods for defrosting pesto cubes, one very simple, leaving them at room temperature, while the other is slightly faster and more practical.
The first method is simply to take the cubes you need from the bag and then let them defrost in the fridge or at room temperature and not in the microwave, to avoid alterations in flavor and consistency.
Now let's move on to the fastest method :
- Take as many cubes as you need to season the pasta and put them in the pan with a drizzle of water.
- Turn the heat on to a very low flame and let the pesto defrost completely.
- Once defrosted, remove it from the heat ( it must absolutely not be cooked otherwise the taste and color could be altered).
- Prepare the pasta and season it normally.
Let's move on to an extra tip if you have decided to freeze Genoese pesto in glass jars. Also in this case the advice is simply to take it out of the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature or better yet in the fridge (depending on the size it could take more or less time, if you defrost it at room temperature calculate an average of at least 18- 24 hours ).
Did you know you can freeze cooked and raw courgettes ?
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