Basil/9 recipes

Penne alla puttane d'Elba tosses hot pasta into a no-cook sauce of raw tomatoes, zucchini, capers, olives, basil, and chili. A sun-soaked Tuscan summer pasta from the island of Elba.

Pizza pomodoro with homemade garlic dough topped with overlapping Roma tomato slices, fresh basil, and Parmesan. A simple Italian flatbread pizza from scratch.

Pappa al pomodoro, a thick Tuscan bread and tomato soup with stale Italian bread, fresh and canned Roma tomatoes, garlic, leeks, basil, and olive oil. Rustic Italian comfort.

Ricotta crostini tops day-old French bread slices with a basil and garlic ricotta filling mixed with turkey bacon, then broils with Parmesan until bubbly. A lighter take on cheesy crostini.

Healthy meat loaf packed with sauteed cabbage, shredded carrots, and potatoes mixed into lean ground beef with whole wheat bread crumbs. More vegetable than meat, baked covered then uncovered for a golden crust.

Lemony braised artichokes and peas with fresh basil, parsley, and olive oil. A vegan Italian-style spring vegetable side that brightens any plate.

Penne with tomato, cream and five cheeses, parboiled pasta tossed in a tomato-cream sauce loaded with pecorino, fontina, gorgonzola, ricotta and mozzarella, then baked hot until bubbling and browned. A restaurant classic.

Goong Pad Pong Garee: Thai curried shrimp stir-fried with garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, bell peppers, and sweet basil. From skillet to plate in 15 minutes. Serve over jasmine rice for an authentic Thai dinner.

Eggplant Siciliano layers eggplant, Italian sausage, marinara, mozzarella, and Romano lasagna-style. No breading, no frying. A heartier, meatier cousin of eggplant Parmesan baked in the upper third of the oven.

Chilled pasta shells layered with basil pesto, spinach, Roma tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp. This make-ahead Italian pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck star that only gets better as it sits.

Three tomato salad with red, yellow pear, and cherry tomatoes plus mushrooms in a balsamic-mustard vinaigrette with fresh basil. A colorful, low-fat summer side.

Red wine braised chicken thighs with shiitake mushrooms, tomato, and herbs over orecchiette tossed with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. A rustic Italian bowl that eats like Sunday supper.

Soupe au pistou, a Provencal vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, pasta, and a fresh basil-garlic-olive oil pistou stirred in at the table. France's answer to Italian minestrone.

Classic French ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and fresh herbs. A vegan Provençal stew that freezes beautifully in meal-sized portions.

Couscous with tomato-eggplant sauce simmered with green pepper, garlic, and a Mediterranean herb blend. Hearty, low-fat vegetarian one-skillet dinner.

Broiled tomato-pesto sandwiches layer fresh basil-parmesan pesto on toasty bagels, topped with ripe tomato slices and bubbled under the broiler. A quick vegetarian lunch ready in 15 minutes.