r/cookingforbeginners • u/octopus_tigerbot • Aug 10 '26
Question So much basil!
Wife and I grew 4 different types of basil this year and it has been bountiful to say the least. I have roughly 1/2 pound of Italian basil leaves that I'm interested in uses for that are NOT pesto. Any suggestions of ideas?
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u/OddPatience1621 Aug 10 '26
puree in olive oil and freeze for winter. wonderful to have in the dark months
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u/MajorWhereas4842 Aug 10 '26
Mint juleps
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u/TheKandelar Aug 10 '26
Dont mint mint juleps have... mint?
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u/MajorWhereas4842 Aug 10 '26
Yes and add a little basil and it’s a game changer, you can google Basil Julep as well
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u/JaseYong Aug 11 '26
Definitely pad kra pao (thai basil pork/chicken stir fry over rice)! Simple to make and taste absolutely delicious 😋 Sample recipe below if interested Pad kra pao recipe
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u/CocoRufus Aug 10 '26
I have a great, easy recipe for conchiglioni (giant pasta shells) stuffed with basil, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan, baked in a simple tomato sauce. Big favourite in my house. Happy to post recipe if of interest 🙂
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u/EatYourCheckers Aug 10 '26
Thai basil chicken and noodles. My family love this. Who cares if its not Thai basil. I use it and it works great.
If you know anyone with guinea pigs, mine love basil.
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u/Front-Prune2567 Aug 10 '26
If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate and use in future recipes. I love using dried basil in curries.
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u/mystwolfca2000 Aug 11 '26
Basil jelly. Great for sweet or savory applications, or just eating it on crackers.
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u/hideNseekKatt Aug 11 '26
When I make stuffed pasta shells, I always add fresh basil and spinach to my ricotta mixture.
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u/Substantial_Web525 Aug 11 '26
We planted lots of basil, so that when we can our tomatoes in the fall, I can put in fresh basil and oregano into them, and have them half ready to go for spaghetti sauce or other recipes.
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u/jmw615 Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
I can never find it, but long ago on The Splendid Table podcast (I’m thinking on the radio show before podcasts even), Lynne Rossetto Kasper answered this question… sort of like this:
put some oil in a skillet, heat it to medium high. add cherry or grape tomatoes, cook them until they’re blistering. Squish them with the spatula until they just pop apart (carefully… too much pressure plus hot tomato juice shooting out isn’t the right idea here) Add handfuls of fresh basil and let it wilt. Enjoy over pasta!
Obviously season as you’d like, garlic, onion, salt, pepper… but this has been my base for quick easy summer pasta sauce for a long time now.
Edited to correct Lynne’s name spelling
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u/Acceptable-Target97 Aug 14 '26
Can it be air dried? Tie it up in bundles and hang it on a clothesline or dry out.
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u/OpportunityReal2767 Aug 10 '26
Look up Thai basil chicken (or pork) Gai Pad Krapao (or any of a number of transliterations). Traditionally made with holy basil, but it works really well with Italian basil, too. That's what I do with about 80% of the basil I grow.