As summer comes to an end, I am wishing a tearful farewell to my basil plants. This year I didn’t plant a full summer garden, since we’re in the middle of the worst drought California has seen since they started measuring these things. But I did plant basil in a pot, because otherwise what was I supposed to eat with the tomatoes I swiped from my mom’s garden and/or got from the roadside stand? And sure, you can buy basil at the store, but, basil being a delicate herb, Safeway apparently feels justified in charging exorbitant prices for just a few sprigs. So, in the end, I declared basil worth the water I spent on it.

Now, though, as we near the end of September, my basil plants try to flower every time I turn my back on them and soon cold weather will send them to the big herb garden in the sky. It’s time to preserve one of my favorite summer flavors for the dark winter months. And what better way to preserve basil than pesto? It freezes beautifully and, as a bonus, can be used to make a weeknight dinner that’s ready in the time it takes to boil pasta.

I actually mowed down my basil to make pesto more than once this summer, since I live in the sort of hot, dry climate that makes the plants grow like gangbusters. But you obviously don’t need to make pesto on the same massive scale I do! My recipe is based on Marcella Hazan, the Julia Child of Italian cuisine. I have only slightly bumped up the garlic from the original. As written, the recipe makes enough pesto for one pound of pasta (about half a cup), but if you have a standard large food processor a double batch will fit perfectly in the bowl (pictured).

If you have an Italian grandmother or watch a lot of food TV, then you may know that real Italians would never dream of making pesto in a food processor. For true authenticity, you will need a giant mortar and pestle. In case you are wondering, yes, I do have that mortar I just linked to, and yes, I did make pesto in it once, and no, I do not plan to do that again.

Finally, if you have never made your own pesto before, be warned: fresh pesto has a very herby, bright, almost grassy flavor. Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of it fresh from the food processor. But the grassy flavor mellows over time and adding the sauce directly to hot pasta will cook the ingredients slightly, further removing any sharp, “raw” flavors. Trust me—it will be delicious. Now go make some before the basil is gone!

Side note about pine nuts: they will last forever in the freezer, so save yourself a lot of money by buying the giant bag from Costco and freezing it. You can also substitute walnuts if you can’t find pine nuts.

Basil Pesto

Makes about 1/2 C (4 oz), enough for 1 pound of pasta

Ingredients

1 C basil leaves, packed
1 TB pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1/4 C grated parmesan

Directions

If using right away: pulse all ingredients in a food processor until it is a fairly uniform paste. Or, if you want to be very Italian about it, mash them with a big mortar and pestle.

If freezing: combine all ingredients except the parmesan as above. Freeze. Add the parmesan when using.

Pesto pasta with chicken and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients

1 lb small pasta (I used bowtie)
1/2 C (one recipe) pesto, thawed if necessary
1/4 C parmesan, if using thawed pesto, plus more for garnish
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 pint cherry or plum tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Boil a large pot of well-salted water for the pasta.
2. While you are waiting for the water to boil, pre-cook your chicken. I sometimes poach it in a bit of chicken broth, but this time I used this method from the Kitchn. Either way works well!
3. Begin cooking your pasta so that it will finish a few minutes after the chicken has finished cooking.
4. Slice your tomatoes and grate your parmesan.
5. Dice the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces.
6. When the pasta is done, drain and put back into the large pot. Add the pesto and mix, then add the parmesan (if not already in the pesto) and diced chicken and mix well. Check seasoning. Finally, add the tomatoes and carefully mix.
7. Serve topped with additional parmesan.