Basil/8 recipes

Sausage and beans simmered with ketchup and Worcestershire, served platter-style with eggs, sliced avocado, and fresh orange for a hearty weekend brunch.

Penne with green peas, diced tomatoes, fresh basil, and a touch of cream. A quick 30-minute pasta dinner with just enough richness from a splash of heavy cream.

Heat wave spaghetti sauce is a no-cook tomato sauce with fresh basil, lemon verbena, garlic, and grated gouda. A summer pasta that uses the heat of cooked noodles to warm the marinated sauce.

Tortellini with garden vegetables tosses cheese-filled pasta with sautéed carrots, zucchini, peas, and fresh tomato in olive oil with Parmesan and basil. Quick vegetarian weeknight dinner.

Habanero tomato guacamole: ripe avocados blended smooth with a whole habanero, fresh garlic, cilantro, and cumin, then folded with diced tomato and red onion. A fiery Mexican party dip.

Spicy lentil potato stew simmers brown lentils, cubed potatoes, carrots, and celery in tomato juice with chili powder, oregano, and basil for a hearty one-pot vegan dinner.

Vegan marinara sauce with fresh Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, carrot, garlic, herbs, and red wine. Sweet without added sugar, freezer-friendly, 16 servings from one pot.

Peasant soup is a humble Tuscan-style bean stew with great northern beans, carrots, celery, garlic, and tomato simmered low and slow. Plant-based comfort food made from pantry staples.

Grilled corn salsa with charred vine tomatoes, quick-pickled red onion, and fresh basil. Smoky-sweet kernels and peeled tomatoes make a bright summer topping for tacos, grilled fish, or straight out of the bowl with tortilla chips.

Gourmet asparagus pizza on a honey wheat crust with alternating roasted roma tomato and fresh mozzarella, topped with asparagus tips, basil, and oregano.

Provencal chicken slow cooker (crock pot): chicken pieces braised with bacon, shallots, tomato, red wine, and Mediterranean herbs. 8 hours on low for a restaurant-worthy French-Italian-Spanish fusion.

Apricot pot roast: a slow-braised beef roast finished in a glossy glaze of apricot syrup and sherry, with tender herbs and whole apricots spooned around. A sweet-and-savory twist on Sunday pot roast.

Pasta with tomato, chard, and sunflower seed sauce where ground toasted sunflower seeds thicken a fresh tomato-basil sauce. A vegan, nut-free pasta with hidden protein and earthy greens.

Pot and cot roast braises beef pot roast in apricot juice with marjoram, basil, and cream sherry, then reduces the liquid to a glossy fruit syrup. Sweet-savory fruited beef roast for company.

Penne with creamy roasted garlic sauce, crispy bacon, white wine, tomatoes, and Parmesan. A rich Italian-style pasta that makes a whole head of garlic taste sweet and mellow.

Chicken pinwheels made from pounded chicken breasts rolled around ham slices with basil and garlic, baked and chilled, then sliced into elegant rounds. A make-ahead appetizer that looks impressive with minimal effort.