Basil recipes

Three tomato salad with red, yellow pear, and cherry tomatoes plus mushrooms in a balsamic-mustard vinaigrette with fresh basil. A colorful, low-fat summer side.

Red wine braised chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, tomato, and herbs over orecchiette tossed with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. A rustic Italian bowl that eats like Sunday supper.

Soupe au pistou, a Provencal vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, pasta, and a fresh basil-garlic-olive oil pistou stirred in at the table. France's answer to Italian minestrone.

Classic French ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and fresh herbs. A vegan Provençal stew that freezes beautifully in meal-sized portions.

Couscous with tomato-eggplant sauce simmered with green pepper, garlic, and a Mediterranean herb blend. Hearty, low-fat vegetarian one-skillet dinner.

Broiled tomato-pesto sandwiches layer fresh basil-parmesan pesto on toasty bagels, topped with ripe tomato slices and bubbled under the broiler. A quick vegetarian lunch ready in 15 minutes.

Fish stuffed peppers with orzo tuck marinated rockfish inside warm roasted peppers over garlic-tomato orzo with basil. Mediterranean fish dinner with a bright coriander-lemon marinade.

Parmesan breaded chicken dipped in buttermilk and coated with seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmesan, oregano, rosemary, and basil, then baked covered until juicy. An oven-baked Italian herb chicken.

Champagne-braised chicken casserole layered with peas, baby carrots, new potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup. A showstopper one-dish dinner.

Eggplant macaroni bake layers tender eggplant, fresh tomato, and basil with parmesan-tossed macaroni, topped with cheddar and baked bubbly. A light, vegetarian pasta casserole that skips the heavy cream sauce.

A lighter chicken pesto pasta with a yogurt-based spinach pesto, fresh basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan tossed with penne. Half the fat of traditional pesto, all the flavor.

Quinoa tabbouleh swaps traditional bulgur for protein-rich quinoa in a parsley-forward Lebanese salad with scallions, lemon, olive oil, and garlic. Gluten-free, vegan, refreshing.

Easy lasagna with jarred spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and a simple meat layer. Weeknight-friendly with big shortcut flavor.

Rustic Italian focaccia topped with roasted red peppers, slow-cooked onions, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Garlic-infused olive oil dough hand-kneaded and dimpled for crispy edges.

Garlicky pasta chicken salad made with 6 whole heads of garlic slow-cooked in olive oil and puréed with basil and rosemary. Tossed with rotini, Parmesan, and toasted walnuts.

Italian pasta salad with rotini, broccoli, mozzarella, bell peppers, and a homemade basil-oregano vinaigrette. A make-ahead cold pasta dish for potlucks and picnics.