43 Basil Recipes So You Can Eat and Drink It At Every Meal
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Yes, you should be making copious amounts of BA’s Best Pesto recipe with your summertime basil. But this sweet herb is good for a whole lot more than sauce. These 43 basil recipes prove it. From a teeteringly tall green salad with those gorgeous green leaves tucked between each layer to a warm dressing you’ll want to drizzle over all your summer veg to a cold shrimp and noodle dish that’s as refreshing as a dip in a pool, these basil recipes make use of the season’s No. 1 herb. Oh, and before you go out and buy a whole bunch (or start growing your own) we have a few important tips for how to store it and how to keep it from going bad.
- Alex Lau1/43
Honeydew and Fennel Salad With Basil
If you have a perfectly ripe melon—great! If you don’t, no worries. The salt, acid, and a bit of heat here will give life to lackluster specimens.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Anderson, Prop Styling by Bea Chastka2/43
Beef Stir-Fry with Green Beans and Tomatoes
Olive oil works great in stir-fry recipes; its sharp grassy notes complement flavors like lemongrass and basil.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson3/43
Romesco Pasta Salad With Basil and Parmesan
This pasta salad holds up well at room temperature and has a flavorful, punchy romesco sauce.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk4/43
Tomato Salad with Warm Basil Dressing
This savory infused oil is about to open up your salad world.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski5/43
Everyday Greens Salad
A salad that brings the drama. It's at its highest—and most delicious—with a variety of leaves, some mild and large (butter, Bibb, Little Gem), some spicy and small (like arugula).
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio6/43
Bright and Spicy Shrimp Noodle Salad
A punchy fish sauce vinaigrette works as a marinade and as a dressing for glass noodles and handfuls of basil and cucumber.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova7/43
Summer Bolognese
Think of this weeknight-friendly pasta recipe as a lighter take on the classic Italian ragù that features cherry tomatoes, a red chile for some heat, and tons of fresh basil.
- Photo by Alex Lau8/43
Basil Pesto
The key is to add the basil at the very end instead of blending everything all at once.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Plate by Heath Ceramics9/43
Grilled Potato Salad With Chiles and Basil
Everything we love about a German potato salad (bright vinegar, fresh herbs, a little heat)—but make it smoky, charred, and grilled.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Chris Morocco10/43
Miso-Glazed Eggplant Grain Bowls With Basil
This recipe is a great way to showcase the eggplants and basil you just hauled from the market.
- 11/43
Stir-Fried Eggplant With Basil and Chiles
August is peak eggplant season; look for Japanese and Chinese eggplants for this stir-fry recipe.
- Photo by Alex Lau, , Food Styling by Sue Li12/43
Shrimp and Basil Stir-Fry
There’s so much more you can do with your farmers’ market basil than making pesto!
- Peden + Munk13/43
Strawberry-Basil Shortcakes
We love the combination of gently cooked and raw strawberries in this not-too-sweet version of the classic dessert.
- Laura Murray14/43
BA’s Best Caprese Salad
Make the most of tomato season with this classic caprese salad recipe.
- Alex Lau15/43
Spaghetti With Tomato and Walnut Pesto
Basil is a mere garnish in this nutty, cheesy, peak-season pesto sauce.
- Ted Cavanaugh17/43
Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Basil-Chip Ice Cream
A gallon-size ziptop bag is the perfect vessel for storing the base while it chills.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Judy Mancini18/43
Summer Squash and Basil Pasta
Sautéed squash eventually gets jammy and saucy if cooked long enough, ideal as a way to coat big pieces of pasta.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott19/43
Hummus with Sugar Snap Peas and Basil
Try seeking out a high-quality Sauvignon Blanc vinegar. You’ll be amazed at how much it brightens these sugar snap peas.
- Hirsheimer & Hamilton20/43
Thai Beef with Basil
Basil is wilted like a leafy green in this stir-fry, then added raw at the end for a double dose of its aromatic flavor.
- Gentl & Hyers21/43
Trouble in Paradise
Basil is shaken up right with the rest of the cocktail ingredients. An extra, fresh sprig acts as garnish.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog22/43
Pasta With No-Cook Tomato Sauce
When tomato season rolls around, this no-cook tomato pasta is our ace in the hole.
- Peden + Munk23/43
Runner Beans with Swiss Chard Stems and Basil
Add the basil at the last minute, so it doesn't wilt too much.
- 24/43
Fig Caprese Salad
It's not about the number of steps or ingredients in a dish. If you shop smart, buying peak-season produce and quality protein, you don't have to do much at all (like with this easy salad recipe).
- Marcus Nilsson25/43
Ligurian Pesto with Spaghetti
This recipe makes more pesto than you'll need. Serve the extra with vegetables or fish, or spread it on sandwiches.
- 27/43
Mixed Berry Gazpacho with Basil
Make no mistake: This is a sweet soup. But the basil keeps it from becoming saccharine.
- Marcus Nilsson30/43
Soba with Green Chile Pesto
Think of the heat in these chiles not as a dare but as another essential building block of flavor—right alongside salt, acid, and fat.
- 31/43
Taiwanese-Style Chicken with Basil and Sichuan Pepper-Salt
The basil is stir-fried just until wilted.
- Ted Cavanaugh32/43
Pasta with Chopped Pesto
This chopped pesto requires nothing more than a cutting board and a knife.
- Christopher Testani33/43
Green Chile Charmoula
Let’s put it this way: If you like salsa verde, you’ll love charmoula, a spiced marinade central to Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan, and Tunisian cooking.
- Romulo Yanes34/43
Grilled Halloumi with Watermelon and Basil-Mint Oil
You'll want to drizzle this oil over everything.
- 35/43
Poached Arctic Char with Basil-Tarragon Mayonnaise
This herbaceous aioli is also terrific spooned over simply prepared vegetables, such as boiled new potatoes or roasted ramps.
- Randy Harris36/43
Pasta with Pesto, Shrimp, and Cured Ham
A version of this recipe helped chef Danny Bowien win the Pesto World Championship in Italy in 2008. He was kind enough to let us adapt it a bit.
- Alex Lau39/43
Spring Minestrone Verde with Pistachio Pesto
Step 1: Prep this simple soffritto and nutty pesto. Step 2: Make beautiful, clean soups on a whim.
- Peden + Munk40/43
Fusilli Alla Vodka With Basil and Parmesan
Make sure the vodka cooks for a full minute or two to evaporate all the booziness.
- ©Romulo Yanes41/43
Baked Flounder with Tomatoes and Basil
The fish is baked in a simple herbaceous sauce.
- 42/43
Charred Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes
If making ahead, don't add the basil until just before serving.
- ©Romulo Yanes43/43
Summer Tomato Bouillabaisse with Basil Rouille
Rouille is similar in style to aioli.