Basil recipes

Avocado and mozzarella stuffed tomatoes hollow out vine-ripe tomatoes and fill them with cubed avocado and fresh mozzarella tossed in basil-balsamic vinaigrette. Five-minute summer appetizer with caprese-salad bones.

Easy crustless tomato cheese quiche with bacon, sharp cheddar, and basil. Bisquick forms its own crust as it bakes, so no pastry rolling required.

Cape May clam chowder is a Jersey Shore tomato-based chowder with fresh clams, sea scallops, bacon, and herbs. The Mid-Atlantic answer to the New England-versus-Manhattan debate.

Mussels and shrimp with penne in a fresh tomato sauce with garlic, basil, mint, and a splash of brandy. A rustic Italian seafood pasta dinner.

Goat cheese and grilled eggplant salad layers smoky charred Japanese eggplant with creamy goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, mint, and balsamic. A vibrant Mediterranean side or light summer lunch.

Cold poached salmon fillets in white wine, served chilled with a Dijon mustard, lime, and honey sour cream sauce. An elegant make-ahead main course for summer entertaining.

Honey mustard meatloaf glazed with Dijon and honey, baked until caramelized and finished with fresh scallions. A simple weeknight dinner with bold sweet-tangy flavor in every slice.

Salsa pesto blends fresh basil, garlic, and onion with butter, olive oil, Parmesan, and toasted pine nuts for a richer, creamier spin on classic Genovese pesto. Toss with pasta, spread on grilled bread, or spoon over roast chicken.

Green and red tomato salad with cubed unripe and ripe tomatoes, red onion rings, fresh basil, and a cumin-laced lemon-and-olive-oil dressing. The summer side that pairs perfectly with grilled meats. Vegan, gluten-free, ready in 15 minutes.

Hearty burgundy spaghetti sauce with red wine, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, basil, and oregano. A meatless pasta sauce with rich, wine-deepened tomato flavor.

Bean and pasta soup with kidney beans, elbow macaroni, spinach, and stewed tomatoes in vegetable broth. A one-pot Italian-style soup with Parmesan on top in 30 minutes.

Retro frosted liver pate made from braunschweiger mounded with garlic, onion, and basil, then coated in a cream cheese and hot pepper sauce frosting. A classic party spread served with dark rye crackers.

Lentils and eggplant with brown rice is a one-pot rice cooker dinner with tender lentils, meaty mushrooms, carrots, and eggplant simmered in tomato sauce with basil and oregano. Hearty vegetarian comfort with zero fuss.

Pasta e fagioli simmers tender navy beans, canned tomatoes, and macaroni in a basil-and-oregano broth, with onions sautéed in balsamic instead of oil. A naturally lean Italian peasant soup.

Whole grilled snapper served with a bright herb salad of basil, mint, fennel fronds, sorrel, and edible nasturtium flowers dressed in lemon and olive oil.

City chicken is a Depression-era classic of cubed beef, pork, and chicken stacked on skewers shaped like drumsticks, dredged in egg-milk and flour, then slow-baked until fork-tender. Old-school Pittsburgh comfort.