Basil is an aromatic herb with a fairly fresh, somewhat peppery and aniseedy taste. Basil is mainly added fresh to meals. Very popular in Italy and in the Mediterranean area, this herb goes well with many dishes. Basil can be easily preserved by being dried and chopped. Discover some ideas for richly flavoured dishes made with or from Basil.
Traditional recipes with Basil
- The famous Tomato Mozzarella salad. As its name suggests, this salad is made with fresh ripe tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. It is served with fresh basil and a little olive oil. This salad is very easy and quick to prepare. - Pistou soup. To make this soup, you will need white beans, red coco beans, flat green beans, diced potatoes, zucchini, onions, shells, tomatoes, garlic, all cooked together. Olive oil and basil will also be in the recipe. The basil will be added crushed with cheese and garlic and a tomato. - The famous tomato and basil spaghetti or "spaghetti pomodoro e basilico". A traditional Italian spaghetti dish with a creamy tomato sauce and fresh basil.Basil sauces
- Pesto sauce. The Italian pesto sauce with basil or "pesto alla Genovese" is the most popular. It is made by crushing the basil with a little olive oil. Then parmesan, garlic and pine nuts are added. This sauce is often found in Italian and Mediterranean recipes. - Pistou sauce. French derivative of the Italian pesto sauce. Pistou is prepared in the same way as pesto, without the pine nuts. - Tomato and basil sauce. Prefer ripe tomatoes. Bring water to the boil and when it boils, soak the tomatoes in it and wait a few minutes. Then put the tomatoes in iced water. This process removes the skin from the tomatoes easily. In a frying pan, sauté onion. Then add the finely chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, broth if necessary, and reduce over medium heat. Then add the basil. - Basil cream. Obtained with a bunch of crushed basil, garlic cloves, fresh cream and a little olive oil, all well seasoned. It goes perfectly with pasta or tagliatelle.Easy recipes with basil
- Basil sorbet. The simplest way to make a sorbet is to use few ingredients. You can prepare a sorbet with egg whites, sugar syrup and chopped or mixed basil. All frozen more than an hour before tasting. - Basil omelette. The basil withstands the heat. However, it is advisable not to cook it for a long time as this aromatic herb may lose its flavour and benefits. To prepare this recipe, you need to add a few chopped basil leaves to the beaten eggs. - Basil Butter. A simple recipe that goes well with all kinds of meats and grills. Obtained with ointment butter, finely chopped garlic and basil and a drizzle of lemon juice. Mixed well until a creamy consistency is obtained.- Basil liqueur. This liqueur is obtained by macerating basil in brandy for a month or more. After maceration, you add sugar syrup. This preparation is then filtered and kept in a well-sealed glass bottle.