Dry mixes for pesto are not cheap, if you can even find them in the local grocery store’s dry mix aisle (or the top shelf in the pasta aisle, which is often bare at our stores). It’s also not as fresh as when you make it yourself! And no thickeners, no gums, no starches added. You know what is in the mix. And should you grow and dry your own basil, so much the better. Even as October slips by, if you have basil still alive, go cut some off (or all of it!) and put it in a large clean brown paper bag and let air dry.
Dehydrated Pesto
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp dried basil, crumbled
- 3 Tbsp shelf stable parmesan cheese (green can)
- 1 Tbsp dried garlic, powder or diced (not garlic salt)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Pack the dry ingredients in a 4-ounce mason jar (a jelly jar size) and seal tightly. For long-term storage, you can leave the Parmesan cheese out till you go to make the sauce.
Depending on your use for the pesto sauce mix, add the oil and up to ¼ cup water (hot or cool) slowly, mixing till blended. Use less water for a thicker spread, if using on bread/tortillas. For a pasta sauce, use the full amount.
Let sit for a couple minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt to taste, for us the cheese adds enough.
Covers half a pound pasta.
~Sarah