Basil/6 recipes

Roman Holiday Soup: a low-fat Italian minestrone with white beans, green beans, macaroni, and a tomato-garlic-basil swirl stirred in at the end. Ready in 40 minutes, topped with Parmesan.

Slow cooker vegetable fettuccine with zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots tossed in a creamy Parmesan-mozzarella sauce. A vegetarian crockpot pasta that does the work while you're out.

Lobster or shrimp fra diavolo in a spicy tomato sauce with red wine, hot peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs, tossed with pasta. Italian-American seafood at its boldest.

Low-fat pasta sauce with Italian white beans, tomatoes, ham, and fresh herbs simmered in reduced chicken broth. Spooned over your favorite pasta shape.

Kosher Creole seafood gumbo built on the holy trinity of onion, pepper and garlic, simmered with tomatoes, okra and tender fish fillets over rice. A shellfish-free gumbo that freezes beautifully.

Slow-simmered marinara sauce with roasted garlic, anchovies, Italian plum tomatoes, and a strip of lemon peel for depth. Rich, savory, and worth the wait.

Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with ricotta, Parmesan, and egg, baked in a homemade basil tomato sauce and topped with melted mozzarella. Classic Italian comfort food.

Jumbo homemade ravioli with fresh basil-infused pasta dough and a ground veal filling. Giant 4-inch squares served with homemade tomato sauce. A from-scratch Italian pasta project worth the effort.

Amateur lasagna: an easy vegetarian spinach lasagna with uncooked noodles, ricotta-mozzarella filling, and jarred sauce. No pre-boiling needed, just layer and bake.

Sausages Mediterranean style, a fast one-pan skillet of browned sausage with kidney beans, tomatoes, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. A hearty, sun-drenched supper over pasta or with crusty bread.

Linguine with grilled chicken and eggplant tosses hot pasta with smoky charred Japanese eggplant, chicken, fresh basil, garlic, and Romano cheese. Rustic Italian dinner ready in under an hour.

Beans with rare steak and pesto: grilled steak sliced rare over mashed cannellini beans with fresh basil-parsley pesto. A Tuscan-style dinner that's lean, protein-heavy, and deeply savory.

Chicken livers browned in bacon drippings, simmered in dry sherry and tomato sauce with mushrooms, onions, and herbs. Served over rice, polenta, or pasta with grated Parmesan. Ready in 20 minutes.

Penne with wild mushroom sauce built on shallots, chicken stock, and a two-cheese melt of fontina and Parmigiano-Reggiano, finished with fresh basil and thyme. A rustic Italian weeknight pasta with earthy, silky depth.

Artichoke, tomato, and three-cheese pizza with creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and sharp Asiago over Roma tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts. The Italian-style white pizza with bright flavor.

Eggplant di Carnevalle layers crispy breaded eggplant with ricotta-spinach filling, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella. A hearty Italian bake that's part eggplant parm, part lasagna.