Basil/3 recipes

Pasta tossed with four colors of oven-roasted bell peppers, balsamic vinegar, garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. A vibrant, low-fat sauce bursting with smoky sweetness.

Kasha with sauteed onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, seasoned with soy sauce and tahini for a nutty, savory vegetarian main dish. Hearty buckwheat groats in 30 minutes.

Minestrone genovese: classic Ligurian vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, and pasta, finished with fragrant basil pesto stirred in at the end.

Fresh green pasta salad tosses spinach spaghetti with asparagus, zucchini, snow peas, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in a curry-spiked mayo dressing. A vegetable garden in a bowl.

Cajun skillet beans with black-eyed peas, the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, plus tomatoes, thyme, and a pinch of cayenne. A quick, hearty vegetarian Cajun side.

Neapolitan spaghetti alla pummarola with plum tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and a splash of red wine. Authentic Southern Italian comfort food ready in 45 minutes.

Grilled veal chops pizzaiola with a robust tomato sauce of anchovies, capers, garlic, and fresh herbs. Italian-style broiled chops with a bold, savory Neapolitan sauce.

Chilled Mediterranean grilled vegetable soup with charred bell peppers, zucchini, red onion, vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, and red wine vinegar. A smoky, no-cook summer soup served cold.

Vegetable lasagna layered with zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and a red wine tomato sauce. Make-ahead and lighter than meat lasagna, with cottage cheese standing in for ricotta.

Linguine with steamed mussels, rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, red bell peppers, and fresh basil in a white wine and fish stock sauce. A Mediterranean seafood pasta ready in an hour.

A great side dish that can be made, courtesy of your crockpot. Just in time for Thanksgiving!

Italian bean and pasta salad with anasazi beans, spinach spaghetti, fresh vegetables, and a lemon-herb dressing. A no-cook, protein-packed side that improves as it chills.

Beef Carbonnade Soup with Spatzle: a Belgian-meets-German hybrid soup with beer-braised beef, vegetables, and homemade nutmeg-scented egg spatzle dumplings. Three-hour simmer.

Sage-crusted roast pork loin marinated overnight with garlic and peppercorns, served with a flambeed Calvados apple brandy sauce made from pan drippings and Granny Smith apples.

Penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, crushed dried chile, black olives, fresh basil, lemon zest, and Parmesan. A bold no-cook sauce that sits at room temperature to marry the flavors before tossing.

Roasted red pepper pasta tosses pasta wheels with charred bell peppers, chickpeas, scallions, fresh basil, tarragon, and capers. No-oil low-fat vegan main with bold Mediterranean flavor.