Tag Archives: basil

Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) from saveur.com

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1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, washed and finely chopped
9 cups puréed peeled Italian tomatoes
3  cups veggie stock
9 slices (¾”-thick) stale, unsalted Tuscan bread (about 1 lb.), halved
2 tbsp. chopped basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat ⅓ cup of the oil in a large wide pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add leeks, and cook, stirring often, until very soft but not browned, 15–20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken and beef stocks and stir to mix well. Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the bread, pushing it into the soup with a wooden spoon until each piece is submerged. Add the basil and stir gently to combine. Cover the pot and set it aside to let the bread soak until completely softened, about 30 minutes.
Uncover the pot and whisk the soup vigorously until the bread breaks down and the soup resembles porridge, 4–5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently reheat soup over medium heat. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

 

Eggplant Rollatini

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  • 2 large eggplants
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 handful of fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 tbs dried Italian herbs
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon (zest only)
  • A little olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 ½ cups marinara tomato sauce (Napolitana) buy it or click here for recipe.

  • Wash and trim away the tops and bottoms. Remove a small slice so it sits flat and slice lengthwise approx 1/4 inch thick. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange your eggplant slices. Drizzle or brush a little olive oil on each piece of eggplant. Sprinkle the Italian herbs. Bake for 20 min at 350°F – 180°C or until golden brown.

    In a mixing bowl, add your ricotta cheese. Add one whole egg. Grate and add a three quarter cup of mozzarella cheese.

    Add the grated Parmesan cheese. Chop and add the fresh parsley. Add the zest of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

    In a baking dish, line the bottom with one cup of tomato sauce (Marinara).
    Remove the eggplant from oven when cooked and leave to cool a few minutes.

    Place an eggplant slice on your workbench. Using a tablespoon, scoop out some of the mixture, place it of the eggplant slice and spread it evenly to totally cover. Roll the eggplant slice and place it in your baking dish on top of the sauce. Repeat the process and leave a gap between each roll. Top each piece with the remainder of mozzarella cheese.

    Bake for 25 min at 400°F – 200°C or until golden brown.

    Using a knife, roll up the fresh basil and shred it. Once cooked, remove from oven and scatter the fresh basil over rollatinis. Leave to cool ten minutes before serving.

 

Poached Cod in Tomato Broth from martha

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  • 3 cups veggie or fish broth
  • 1/2 medium red onion, very thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise, divided
  • 8 ounces fingerling potatoes, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 3 sprigs basil, plus fresh basil leaves for garnish
  • 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 skinless cod fillets (4 ounces each)
  • 4 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed and thinly sliced on the bias
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus 4 lemon wedges, for serving
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

  1. Bring broth, onion, 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, potatoes, basil sprigs, red-pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large, deep, straight-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Season cod with salt and pepper, add to broth mixture, and cover. Simmer until fish is opaque throughout and just cooked through, about 7 minutes.

  2. Remove and discard basil sprigs. Add sugar snaps, remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes, and lemon juice to skillet, gently stirring to combine; cook just until warmed through. Divide fish, vegetables, and broth among 4 bowls. Garnish with basil leaves, drizzle with oil, and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

 

Salmon Pasta with Green Goddess Pesto from thewoksoflife.com/

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  • 1 large handful of basil (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 large handful of parsley (about 1 cup chopped)
  • 1 small handful of dill (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 1 small bunch of chives (about ½ cup chopped)
  • 2 scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • The leaves from 3 stalks of tarragon (stems discarded)
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1½ pound salmon fillet
  • 1 pound dried fettuccine
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • ⅓ cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • Zest of a whole lemon
  • First make the green goddess pesto. In the bowl of a food processor, add the basil, parsley, dill, chives, scallions, tarragon, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Next, rinse your salmon fillet, pat it dry with a paper towel, and season with salt. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon until cooked through on both sides, approximately 5-6 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of the fish and your preference for doneness). When it’s cooked to your liking, transfer to a plate, and with two forks, flake the salmon.
  • Next, bring a pot of salted water up to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
  • While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the garlic. Stir the garlic until lightly browned, and then add the capers. Turn the heat all the way down to low, and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream, followed by the peas. Stir to warm the peas through.
  • Add the cooked pasta and stir thoroughly until the pasta is coated in the cream. Next, add the pesto and stir to combine. Top with the flaked salmon, additional black pepper to taste, and lemon zest.

Spaghetti Puttanesca, seriouseats.com

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  • 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons; 20–30ml chopped anchovy)
  • Large pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives (about 2 ounces; 60g) (see note above)
  • 1 cup (225g) whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, roughly broken up by hand (about half a 14 ounce can)
  • Small handful minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 ounce (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place spaghetti in a large skillet, sauté pan, or saucepan and cover with water. Add a small pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent pasta from sticking.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) oil, garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat until garlic is very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep it gently sizzling.) Add capers and olives and stir to combine.
  3. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and bring to a bare simmer. Continue to simmer until pasta is cooked to just under al dente (about 1 minute less than the package recommends).

    4.  Using tongs, transfer pasta to sauce. Alternatively, drain pasta through a colander, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add drained pasta to sauce.

    5.  Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to sauce and increase heat to bring pasta and sauce to a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring and shaking the pan and adding more pasta water as necessary to keep sauce loose, until pasta is perfectly al dente, 1 to 2 minutes longer. (The pasta will cook more slowly in the sauce than it did in the water.) Stir in remaining olive oil, parsley, and cheese.

    6.  Season with salt and pepper. (Be generous with the pepper and scant with the salt—the dish will be plenty salty from the other ingredients.) If using, stir in canned tuna and break it up with a fork. Serve immediately with more grated cheese at the table.

Lightened-Up Eggplant Parmesan

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POMODORO SAUCE:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 small onion (peeled, finely diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled, minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch fresh oregano (tied with kitchen twine)
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (crushed with your hands, 28 ounces)
  • 1 bunch basil (torn, to garnish)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
  • Eggplants:
  • 2 medium eggplants (sliced 1/4-inch thick, peeled)
  • olive oil (spray)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
CASHEW PARMESAN:
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • For the Pomodoro Sauce: Preheat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the onions and garlic. Season with salt. Cook until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove oregano and discard. Using an immersion blender, puree on low to preserve the red color. Add basil and stir to combine. Set aside.
  • For the Eggplant: Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place two racks inside of two baking sheets.
  • On the racks, place the eggplant rounds and lightly spray both sides with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  • For the Cashew Parmesan: In the bowl of a food processor, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder, and pulse to combine until it becomes a fine meal.
  • Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat and add the bread crumbs. Allow to toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the basil, parsley, and oregano and toss to combine. Pour the panko bread crumbs into a large bowl, add the cashew mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
  • To Assemble: Decrease the oven temperature to 325ºF.
  • Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with olive oil, place one eggplant round and top with one heaping tablespoon of the sauce, followed by a heaping tablespoon of the cashew parmesan. Top with another eggplant round and repeat the process 2 more times, finishing with a fourth eggplant round with sauce.
  • Assemble the remaining eggplant parmesan stacks in the baking dish with the rest of the eggplant rounds. Place in the oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the cashew parmesan over each eggplant stack.
  • Tip: The cashew parmesan will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or freezer stored in an airtight container. Use to garnish pastas, soups and salads just like you would Parmesan cheese!

” Lupo’s ” Spiedie marinade

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  • 1⁄3 cup olive oil
  • 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 cup white vinegar*
  • 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped or pressed)
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
*use cider vinegar per Jack Reed
  1. Whisk all other ingredients together to form marinade. Set some aside for basting or sauce if desired (though I don’t think this is necessary).

Ann Marotto’s Fresh Tomato Pie

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  • FOR THE PASTRY
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • FOR THE FILLING
  • About 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
  • 2 to 3 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick and evenly
  • 1 cup grated low-fat Swiss cheese
  • About 8 basil leaves, stacked, rolled and cut crosswise into very thin slices (julienne; about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Kosher or coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Have ready an ungreased 9-inch pie plate or fluted quiche

For the pastry: Combine the ingredients in a large bowl and, using your fingers or a pastry blender, cut the mixture until it comes together as a smooth dough, with the butter well incorporated. Form the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. note: play around with this maybe use food processor for butter and flour and then add cottage cheese and pulse, don’t think mine dough was incorporated enough.

On a lightly floured surface or between two pieces of wax paper, roll out the dough slightly larger than the pie plate or quiche pan and press the dough into the plate or pan. Prick the bottom with the tines of a fork, cover loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and pour ceramic pie weights or dried beans evenly on the foil. Bake for 8 minutes, then carefully remove the weights or beans and the foil, and bake for 2 minutes. (At this point, the crust will not be fully baked.) Cool.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the bottom of the cooled pie shell with a thin, see-through coating of the mustard. Layer the tomato slices, Swiss cheese, basil and parsley, seasoning each layer lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top; bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve warm.

 

Caprese panino from Mario

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1000x400-Q80_a35eac1e31c2186023e716a019a2f09fCAPRESE PANINO

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 vine-ripe tomatoes (cores removed, thinly sliced into rounds)
  • 1 loaf ciabatta (cut lengthwise, cut into 6-inch pieces)
  • 2 balls buffalo mozzarella (about 8 ounces each, sliced)

BASIL PESTO

  • 2 1/2 cups basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts (raw)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
  • Preheat a grill pan or panini maker to medium heat.
  • In a large bowl, add red wine vinegar or basmalic, dried oregano, fresh oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Set aside.
  • For the Pesto: in the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. Pulse and chop until almost blended. The resulting pesto will be a little chunky and not too wet. Pulse a few times to chop and combine. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil until combined, The resulting pesto should be a little chunky and not too wet. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and pulse a couple times just to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the sauce aside so that the flavors meld.
  • To build the sandwiches, lay out a top and bottom piece of ciabatta with the insides facing up. Spread some pesto on both slices of bread. On the bottom piece, add some mozzarella and dressed tomato slices. Top with bread. Brush the outside of the sandwich with a little olive oil. Place on preheated panini maker and close. Cook until golden brown and the cheese has slightly melted, about 3-5 minutes. Continue building sandwiches with remaining ingredients.
  • Tip: alternatively, cook the panini stovetop in a skillet or grill pan and press with a weighted object.

Michael Ruhlman’s Pasta with Tomato Water, Basil, and Garlic

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  • 4 ripe tomatoes, large dice
  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 12 ounces spaghetti or any pasta you like
  • 10 cloves of garlic
  • 1cup basil, cut into ribbons
  • 3 ounces butter, cut into three chunks
  • Olive oil, as needed
  1. Season the tomatoes with the salt and toss them well.
  2. Put a big pot of water on to boil.
  3. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife, give it all a few rough chops with the knife and set them a side in a small bowl.
  4. Cut the basil into ribbons or roughly chop it. Take a pinch of this basil, chop it finely, and add it to the tomatoes to season the water.
  5. Cook your pasta, drain it, put it back in the pot, and oil the pasta to keep it from sticking to itself. (Meanwhile, even if your water isn’t boiling yet, you should still get your garlic cooking in the next step).
  6. Heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the garlic and cook it till it is just beginning to brown around the edges and soften, a couple minutes. Give it a pinch of salt if you wish.
  7. Pour the tomatoes into a strainer or colander over the garlic so that the tomato water will stream into the pan below. Set the strainer with the tomatoes into the bowl so they don’t drip on the counter, and swirl the sauce to bring it to a simmer. Add the butter while continuing to swirl or stir the sauce. Keep the sauce moving until all the butter is melted. Add the pasta and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Divide the pasta among four bowls and top with the tomatoes and basil.