Pesto Sauce, On the Ready

I like to make a quantity of pesto sauce and freeze it, so I have it on the ready when I need it for a recipe. As you can see, I put the finished pesto in an ice cube tray (mine has a lid, which is great) then freeze it so when I need to use some I just nudge them out of the cube slot and I'm ready to add it to my dish. I love cream pesto with grilled salmon (see the cook's note below, after the recipe).

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a 350F oven or in a pan until light brown

3 cups basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup parsley leaves, packed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until chopped well, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Continue to puree until mixture becomes a smooth paste, about 10-20 seconds more, scraping the sides of the bowl several times along the way. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit more olive oil if the mixture is too dry. Cover and refrigerate, or freeze, until needed. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups.

Cook’s Note:  Combined with cream, pesto will make a terrific sauce for grilled salmon or any grilled fish:  just warm 1 cup heavy cream in a small pot, and combine it with 2 cups of the pesto sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the seasoning, and drizzle over grilled salmon.  (This will make 3 cups of cream pesto, so adjust the quantity based on a 1 to 2 ratio, depending on how much you need).