recipes with fresh basil?

[njnewyearsbride]

just bought some fresh basil and looking for recipes to use it up!
thanks

[cyd_96]

Oh! I love fresh basil!

There's always the tried and true tomato, mozzarella and basil salad. I think there's an official title for it, just don't know what it is.

Slice tomatoes and a ball of mozzarella (get the fresh type, yum!), then sprinkle with fresh basil leaves pieces. Top with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinagrette - and salt and pepper to taste. Some don't include the vinagrette - it's what you prefer.

Another one of my favorites is Pasta, Tomato & Corn Salad with Basil Dressing ....real original title, I know!

1 lb rosetti (rose shaped) pasta - you can use any kind with lots of "wrinkles" - necessary to hold the dressing
1/2 c thinly sliced basil leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 T + 2 t red wine vinegar
3/4 c olive oil
10 oz. frozen corn, thawed and drained
salt & pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package or al dente. Drain it well, and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Add oil in a stream, whisking until oil is emulsified. Combine with pasta, tomatoes and corn.

Toss well.

This is a great cool, summer salad. I make a big batch, then eat it for days!

[polarama]

I tend to make a lot of basil mayo or pesto. For basil mayo, just blend about 1/2 cup of basil leaves for every cup of mayo. I usually add a splash of lemon juice and some fresh ground pepper. I use it as a sauce for chicken salads, or as a spread on sandwiches, or even as salad dressing.

For Pesto, throw 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/4 cup of nuts (I use walnuts), 1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese into a food process. As you blend, add a steady stream of olive oil until the mixture has a paste-like consistency. Toss on hot pasta.

[MLA]

For Pesto, throw 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/4 cup of nuts (I use walnuts), 1/4-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese into a food process. As you blend, add a steady stream of olive oil until the mixture has a paste-like consistency. Toss on hot pasta.

I love fresh-made pesto, but I prefer pine nuts over walnuts because of their consistency. :)

[Elizabeth]

The name of that salad with fresh mozerella, basil and tomatoes is Caprese. It's simple, and it's to-die-for. It's also good cut up and tossed with cooked penne pasta, more olive oil and garlic salt. Just make sure to serve it quickly, because the cheese tends to melt and clump together. I make that pasta all the time - it's so easy and so good.

Isn't basil yummy? I love the way it smells.

[Marilyn]

This was fourth place in the $100,000 chicken challenge on Food Network. I made it and it was awesome. The way you prepare the chicken pretty typical but the tomato, basil, and cheese topping is soooo good.

Roasted Chicken Caprese

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
6 medium Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip-top bag. Add Lemon Vinaigrette, seal and marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut each tomato into quarters lengthwise. Place in a medium bowl and toss gently with sugar, salt and olive oil. Spoon tomato mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet so that tomato pieces don't touch. Roast for 30 minutes. Spoon tomatoes and all accumulated juices into a small bowl. Add cheese, basil leaves and pepper, tossing gently. Let sit at room temperature while chicken cooks.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Remove chicken and discard marinade. Place chicken on same cookie sheet used to roast tomatoes. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once, or until fully cooked through.

To serve, place 1 chicken breast half on each heated dinner plate. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture over top.


Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients, except oil, together in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify.

Here is the link for the top five recipes in the challenge if anyone is interested

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_cc

[PeanutButter]

I *love* pesto, but it generally has so much oil that I don't eat it much. I made this last night, though. It's a little runnier than traditional pesto, but the flavor is very good.
I substituted toasted pine nuts for the walnuts:

Classic Basil Pesto
From Cooking Light


"I love pesto, but the commercial pestos and recipes I come across have so much oil, I can't bring myself to try them. Using a couple of recipes as a guide, I fiddled around until I came up with one that had the right consistency." -Kris McDowell, Eagan, MN

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Yield: 3/4 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 54(75% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 1.2g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 2.4g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 74mg; SODIUM 279mg; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1.2g


****************
This looks good too, and I think I might try it with my leftover basil:

Feta-Basil Sandwiches
From Cooking Light


1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices firm white bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White), toasted
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato

Combine first 4 ingredients, tossing with a fork until well combined. Spread about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture onto each of 4 bread slices; top each sandwich with 2 tomato slices and 1 bread slice.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 313(28% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 14.4g; CHOLESTEROL 27mg; CALCIUM 227mg; SODIUM 954mg; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.8g

[dragonfly28602]

My parents made Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches the other week. But instead of using the lettuce the substituted the large basil leaves. It was so yummy.
So I guess it was a Bacon, Basil and Tomato sandwich.
K

[smilewithme]

My parents made Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches the other week. But instead of using the lettuce the substituted the large basil leaves. It was so yummy.
So I guess it was a Bacon, Basil and Tomato sandwich.
K

I made something similar this week, except I added fresh mozzarella to the mix. It was very tasty!

The caprese salad is a staple in our household! YUUMM!!:p

I'm on the prowl for more basil recipes because I have two huge plants that are pretty much flopping over themselves because they are so heavy with leaves!

[Adaya]

I love caprese salad. Try making a caprese pizza. YUM!!

[FoxyBlue]

Spaghetti al Limone
Created by Moira Hodgson
From Great Food in the April 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound spaghetti
* 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
* 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
* 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
* 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
* 2 cups firmly packed basil leaves, slivered


In a large pot, cook spaghetti in salted, boiling water until al dente. Place a colander over a large serving bowl, then drain spaghetti into it (hot water will warm bowl). Pour water from bowl, wipe bowl dry, then empty spaghetti into it.

Meanwhile, combine cheese and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Gradually beat in olive oil until mixture becomes thick and creamy and cheese "melts" into oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon zest.

Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti in serving bowl; toss thoroughly. Add basil, toss again and serve.

(http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/food/recipes/200604/food_200604_pasta.jhtml)

LOVE IT! I've even done it with less olive oil and it is a lovely, light meal.

[silvergrey]

I love this lasagna recipe from epicurious.com. And it'll feed you for a week!

ONE-STEP LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE AND BASIL
You don't have to cook the lasagna noodles first - just assemble the dish, cover and bake.

3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (I use ground sausage)
1 26-ounce jar thick spaghetti or marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I generally use quite a bit more)
1 1-pound box lasagna noodles
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté beef and sausage in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up meats with back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Transfer meats to bowl.

Combine spaghetti sauce, water and basil in large bowl. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce mixture in bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 1/3 noodles, slightly overlapping if necessary, atop sauce. Spread half of ricotta over noodles. Sprinkle with half of mozzarella cheese, half of meat mixture and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Top with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Repeat layering with noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meats and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over. Spoon remaining sauce over, covering completely. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil. Place on baking sheet.

Bake until noodles are tender and lasagna is heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover; let stand 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Rewarm covered in 350°F. oven about 45 minutes.) Cut lasagna into squares and serve.

Serves 6 to 8.
Bon Appétit
September 1997

[Rosebud]

A couple of recipes with basil from my recipe box:

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
(from FoodNetwork.com)

1 pound farfalle pasta
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch dice
8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and place over high heat. Add plenty of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool down.
Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss well and garnish with fresh basil leaves.


Feta-Stuffed Chicken
(From Cooking Light)

4 (4 ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomato
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 teaspoons margarine, melted
3 cups torn spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs. Spoon 1 tablespoon cheese onto each piece of chicken; fold chicken in half.

Place folded breast halves in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drizzle melted margarine over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until chicken is done.
Combine spinach and basil in a bowl; drizzle with vinegar and oil. Sprinkle pepper over salad; toss well. Serve chicken over salad.

[clammyinsf]

Bruschetta
[ S E R V E S F O U R - S I X]


Chopped Roma tomatoes - 6
Chopped basil - 1/2 cup
Chopped garlic - 1, whole
Extra virgin olive oil - 1/3 cup
Baguette - 1 loaf
Put chopped ingredients in bowl, salt lightly and stir in oil. Mix thoroughly and set aside to marinate.


Cut bread on angle, into 1/2" pieces and sprinkle oil on top. Grill a few minutes on each side until crispy. Brush one side of each piece with garlic clove.
Variation: Top with thinly sliced mozzarella cheese topped with roasted peppers and pesto sauce.