I pretty much plant a bunch of extra basil each year just so I can whip up a huge stash of my homemade basil paste. It’s super simple—just two basic ingredients and none of that extra nonsense. Plus, it’s a serious money-saver and you can use it for all sorts of things, like tasty basil sauces, homemade pesto, and kickin’ sandwich spreads, just to get started!

Ingredients:

4 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves (about 8 ounces weighed with stems on)

About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil

What to do:

Cover a cookie tray with tin foil or parchment paper.

In a food processor, puree basil until coarsely chopped. While the processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until finely pureed.

Spoon out 2 tablespoons per mound ( yours might be bigger or smaller depending on use) then freeze. Once frozen place in a freezer safe container and in enjoy all winter.

USES:

Great on fish, meats, buttered noodles, pastas salas, sandwiches and homemade basil vinegarette, just to name a few.

Add ins:

Garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, nuts, grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes and the list goes on.