10 Recipes with Fresh Basil

Photography By Jill Melton | Last Updated June 25, 2019

Fresh basil whirled up in a simple pesto is summer at its best.

Aromatic, green basil is our favorite summer herb: Thai, Genovese and sweet.

We have it growing in our garden outside our kitchen door so we can pop out and pluck some whenever needed. Lacking space for a garden? It's easy to grow in pots as well. Whirled up into pesto, tucked into pasta and bean salads, we eat it all summer long. It's as good raw as it is cooked. We even place it in water in ball jars for a pretty centerpiece on the dining table.

Sweet Cucumber Peach Basil Salad

Two medium peaches away from a tasty summer salad. Recipe from The Peach Truck Cookbook.

Double-Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Perfect as an accompaniement to a grilled steak, this dish uses summer's bounty of zucchini, basil and tomatoes.

Lady Pea Salad with Pesto

We love to try interesting pastas. Here we used Fergola Sarda from Lazzaroli’s Pasta shop in Germantown. However you can use any small pasta, even Israeli couscous. Serve this alongside grilled or...

Pasta with "Melted Tomatoes," Garlic and Basil

A quick throw together pasta dish using the sweet cherry tomatoes of the season

Penne with Squash, Feta and Basil

This dish combines squash with salty feta cheese and penne pasta for super quick and easy summer dinner. The squash caramelizes as it sautés, deepening the flavor of this abundant summer vegetable....

Sweet Potato Rounds with Basil Pesto

Perfect fall appetizers that we served at our fall farm dinner at Katharos Farm. Sweet Potatoes from Delvin Farm with pesto and creamy goat cheese and spiced pecans. Yum.

Lasagna Bowl

Fresh, bright zucchini strips and tomatoes meld with ricotta and mozzarella cheese in this gluten-free vegetarian lasagna made in one pot!

Pasta Salad with Marinated Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes and Corn

The is the perfect summer pasta salad. Use the flavorful oil that the mozzarella balls come packed in to impart more flavor. The sweet corn offsets the salty oil just perfectly.