Basil/9 recipes

Grilled eggplant Parmesan sandwich layers smoky charred eggplant, fire-roasted tomato, wilted spinach, and melty mozzarella-Parm on toasted whole wheat. A vegetarian open-face take on the Italian classic.

Golden flour-dredged chicken breast simmered in Italian plum tomatoes with mushrooms, peppers, onion, and oregano in an electric skillet. Served over spaghetti, this one-pan cacciatore is a reader favourite.

Stir-fried sirloin strips with bow-tie pasta, cherry tomatoes, mixed vegetables, fresh basil, and Parmesan. A 30-minute National Beef Cook-Off winning recipe.

A slow-simmered marinara built on three layers of tomato, a splash of red wine, Italian herbs, and just enough red pepper flakes to earn the name "zesty." Low-fat, feeds a crowd, and freezes like a champ.

Stuffed polenta with meat sauce: two layers of Parmesan polenta sandwiching a meaty tomato-basil sauce and mozzarella, baked hot until bubbly. A lighter Italian alternative to lasagna.

Hearty vegetable barley soup with lean ground beef, pearl barley, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and frozen mixed vegetables. A budget-friendly weeknight pot full of fiber.

Pasta stuffed pizza-style, jumbo pasta shells filled with shredded zucchini, torn pepperoni and Italian bread crumbs, baked under tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. A pizza-night mashup in shell form.

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.