whats a good recipe that has basil in it?

Make pesto: basil, 2 garlic cloves, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan and mix in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can put it on pasta, make pizza, whatever I had some yesterday.

Brashitta, or a nice tomato and Basil sauce. Cooks.com

Is there a BAD recipe with basil??
something real quick, light and cool–caprese salad–basically, chop up some tomatoes (pref Roma), fresh mozzerella (moist, not block), and put em in a bowl with salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh basil.

parsley and chives–try with new potatoes (I don’t even like potatoes, and I love this…especially with garlic, too), or any stew,

any of the above can be chopped up in salad

parsley can be great in salsas (as can chives), try in mango chutney

rotisserie meats

aw my, I’m gettin hungry.

Those are three great, flavorful, nutritious, and flexible herbs you got there. have a blast!

I saw a recipe for Basil Gelato at and it looked good.
If I have some fresh basil I would try it.
But the pesto sounds good too.

White Bean and Tuna Salad

2 (6-ounce) cans dark meat tuna, packed in olive oil
2 (15-ounce) cans cannelini white beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup small capers, nonpareil in brine, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cups fresh arugula
6 fresh basil leaves

In a large bowl, add the tuna, reserving the olive oil in a separate small bowl. Break tuna into bite-size pieces with a large fork. Add the beans and capers.

Into the bowl of olive oil, add the red wine vinegar. You should have 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil – add more extra-virgin olive oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing on the tuna, bean and caper mixture and allow the flavors to infuse while slicing the vegetables. Add the onion and tomatoes to tuna mixture and toss gently.

Place the arugula on large decorative platter and top with tuna mixture. Tear fresh basil leaves over the top and serve immediately.

Pesto Sauce

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignoli, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.

Yield: 4 cups

CRAB CAKES WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE

Crab Cakes:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery stalks, very finely chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound lump crabmeat (picked over – no shells)
2 2/3 cups bread crumbs dry white bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to large bowl. Stir in crabmeat, 2/3 cup bread crumbs, chopped chives, parsley and reserved 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.

Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Mix very gently so not to crush all the crab meat – you want nice & chunky.

Using scant 1/3 cup mixture for each cake, form into twelve 2 1/2 inch diameter cakes. Arrange cakes on baking sheet. Chill for at least one good hour.

NOTE: the crab cakes (up to this point) and the mayonnaise can all be made up to one day ahead.

Place flour in small bowl. Whisk eggs to blend in another small bowl. Place remaining 2 cups bread crumbs in medium bowl. Coat each crab cake with flour. Dip into beaten egg, then into bread crumbs, coating completely.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat.

Editor’s Note: Be sure the oil and skillet are hot when you add the crab cakes or food may stick. Avoid the temptation to flip too soon, before they have a chance to set somewhat and obtain some structure.

Add crab cakes in batches: cook until golden brown and heated through, adding more oil as necessary, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve the crab cakes with the basil mayonnaise. (See below).

Mayonnaise:

20 whole fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups real mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Blanch basil leaves in saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds and drain.
Transfer leaves to medium bowl filled with ice water to cool. Drain and pat the leaves dry.

Finely chop basil. Mix mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and cayenne in medium bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup for the crab cakes. Mix basil into remaining mayonnaise.

CHICKEN CAPRESE

FOR THE TOMATOES AND BASIL:
2 pounds (approximately 8-10) Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored* and cut into 1-inch pieces
30 medium fresh basil leaves (no stems), cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
3 tablespoons minced garlic, divided use
3 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided use
1 1/2 teaspoons and 1 tablespoon salt, divided use
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1 1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon flour, divided use
2 teaspoons black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or breast fillets
vegetable oil
FOR THE PASTA:
1 pound dry capellini (angel hair) pasta
FOR THE SAUCE:
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (for top)

TOMATOES AND BASIL PREPARATION:
Combine Roma tomatoes, basil, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt in a large bowl and blend thoroughly. Cover, set aside and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

CHICKEN PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, black pepper and the remaining 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off any excess.

Coat a large, nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.

Place chicken in skillet and saute for about two minutes on each side, or until just golden brown. If skillet is not large enough, saute the chicken in batches.

When finished, transfer chicken to a large baking dish and place in oven to cook for approximately 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

PASTA PREPARATION:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside until needed.

SAUCE PREPARATION:
While pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and saute for approximately 1 minute. Do not brown.

Slowly add the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to combine.

Add white wine and bring to a boil. Boil for approximately 1 minute.

Remove marinated tomato and basil mixture from refrigerator. Drain tomatoes and basil from liquid and set aside until needed. Add 1/2 cup of the marinade liquid and saute for approximately 1 minute.

Add heavy cream. Lower heat and bring to a simmer. Add grated Parmesan cheese.

ASSEMBLING CHICKEN CAPRESE:
Preheat broiler.

Remove chicken from baking dish and set aside until needed.

Transfer pasta to baking dish and partly coat with sauce.

Pour desired amount of the remaining sauce on pasta and evenly distribute tomatoes and basil over pasta. Place chicken on top of pasta. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over chicken.

Place baking dish into broiler for approximately 2-3 minutes or until mozzarella cheese has melted.

Fettuccine with Cream, Basil and Romano
Ingredients
(4 servings)
4 ea Bacon slices; chopped thick
1/2 c Whipping cream

1 x Or:
1/3 c Basil; chopped fresh
1 x Salt and freshly ground pepp
1 x Romano; freshly grated
4 ea Green onions; chopped
1/2 c Parmesan; freshly grated
1/2 c Romano; freshly grated
1/2 lb Fettuccine
1 x Parmesan; freshly grated
Instructions
Cook bacon in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until beginning to brown. Add green onions and stir until softened, about 1 minute. Add cream and simmer until beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Mix in 1/2 cup Romano cheese and chopped fresh basil. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain well. Return to hot pot. Add sauce and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese separately. *** My notes: When I made this, I used 1 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup each Parmesan and Romano, 1 tbsp dried basil, and substituted 4 or 5 thin slices of Prosciutto for the bacon- frying slightly in butter. I used about 6 ounces of “Pesto Linguini”, which is a thinner pasta containing basil. We like LOTS of sauce!