Over the weekend, I made what I call Panic Pesto.

Gardeners, you know what I’m talking about: You scan the weather forecast, realize to your horror that a cold snap is projected overnight, and rush outdoors to pick as much basil as you can before it turns all wilty and brown at the slightest hint of cool.

basil pesto

1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup dry-toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (see Note)
1/2 cup good olive oil

Purists would place the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a large mortar and smash them to a paste with a pestle. I don’t have a mortar and pestle, so I do this in a food processor. Add Parmesan and pulse to blend. (Note: If you’re making a larger batch of pesto to freeze, which I highly recommend, then it’s best to omit the Parmesan and instead add that when you use the pesto.) Pour olive oil into the work bowl in a light stream and pulse to combine. Season well with salt and pepper.

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