Basil Cubes

Basil is one of my very favorite herbs. Besides being tasty and versatile, my favorite thing is how when I'm desperately tired of winter, a little basil brings the scent of summer back to me. I've been feeling that way lately. Not that we really had much of a winter here, but still. I'm itching to start planting things. Last summer I had these huge basil plants in my front yard; almost every other day I could go out in the evening and harvest bowls full of the leaves. It was amazing how huge the plants were. And then I could smell it on my hands all night long.

However, I was really at a loss as to what to do with all that basil. I gave a lot of it away, along with some tomatoes, but people started to get tired of it. So I made basil cubes.

In a food processor, mix up your clean basil with a little bit of olive oil, then scrape it out into an ice cube tray. Freeze for a couple of hours, then seal them in an airtight container. The cubes are the perfect size to pull out for a quick pesto or to drop in some soup.

I also tried drying some, but in my opinion the flavor holds up much better when frozen. You could use this method to save the excess basil when you buy it fresh at the store.

Easy Pesto Recipe
2 Cups Basil Leaves, or 4 or so cubes, thawed
3 good-size garlic cloves, peeled
1 Cup shelled walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 Cup olive oil
1 heaping Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Combine the basil, garlic and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Turn the motor off, add the cheese, a big pinch of salt and a bunch of pepper. Process briefly to combine, then scrape out into a bowl and cover until ready to use.

This makes enough pesto for two meals for us, so I freeze half of it. The other half I usually just toss with some hot pasta and top with grilled chicken. Sometimes I add a little ricotta cheese, too. It's also great on bruschetta, or on some hot steamed veggies. Enjoy!

Pasta Carbonara

Okay, here's my super-easy favorite pasta recipe. Around here we call it "Bacon and Egg Pasta" because everytime I say "Pasta Carbonara" Brian looks at me like I just sprouted a second head or something.

12 oz pasta (approx) Any kind will do. I like little ones, they mix better.
8 slices of bacon (we really like bacon)
2 eggs
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Hot red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta. Please remember to salt the water when it boils, it makes the pasta so much better! Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces and cook them until they are crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

Put the eggs into the bowl you're going to serve from. Stir them up with a fork until they are all mixed up. When the pasta is finished, drain it and immediately put it in the bowl with the eggs, tossing the pasta to coat. The heat of the pasta will cook any ick out of the eggs. Add the bacon, toss a little more, and serve. When serving, top with lots of parsley and cheese, and as much red pepper as you like. Enjoy!