Basil mania over here!  Italian basil is one of my favorite herbs to use in the kitchen.  It can add such a vibrant and fresh flavor to some of my favorite dishes. If you like basil you are going to love this Easy Basil Pesto recipe.  I like to make a large batch, freeze it in ice cube trays or in little jars, then I can just grab a few out of the freezer and throw them in my pasta. Yum! This recipe is so easy.  Here’s what you’ll need.  The full printable recipe is below. When I saw the Italian Basil growing well in my herb boxes this summer, I was excited.  It’s very convenient to be able to walk out and pick a handful for garnish or meal.   Unfortunately with of the change of seasons, this pleasure has come and gone, but I have a little trick to preserve it throughout the year. I like to make Easy Basil Pesto. Here’s how I make it using a blender. I start by stripping the basil leaves off their stems.  I carefully wash and dab dry the leaves.  Next I put them in a blender along with cashews, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. It’s blending time!  I turn the blender on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the ingredients are well blended.  You may or may not need all of the oil. I like to add just enough oil to get a “swirl” like this.  That’s it! Basil pesto made!!!  Don’t you just love the vibrant green?  And it smells a-mazing! From here it’s ready to use.  If you’d rather save it for later you can store it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for up to 4 months.  I like to freeze it in ice cube trays to make adding it to a dish quick and easy. Frozen pesto cubes are a big time saver at our house and they still bring that great fresh basil flavor and vibrant green color.   What’s your favorite pesto dish?