Basil/8 recipes

Snails Sommeroise is a rustic French escargot dish: snails simmered with herbs, then browned in a savory tangle of bacon, ground walnuts, anchovy and garlic and served over a bed of wilted spinach.

Baked spaghetti squash with melted Monterey Jack, sauteed bell peppers, onions, Italian herbs, and black olives. A cheesy, low-carb vegetarian casserole the whole family will love.

Scheherazade casserole: the classic Moosewood vegetarian bake of bulgur, ground soybeans, tomatoes, cumin and feta cheese. Middle Eastern-spiced, protein-rich and a co-op cookbook hall of famer.

Flaky filo pastry rolled around a rich tomato, mushroom, and roasted cashew filling with red wine and basil. A savory vegetarian strudel that steals the show at Christmas dinner.

White fish fillets baked in a foil packet with green pepper, tomato, scallions, lemon, and fresh basil. A 30-minute, low-fat, low-calorie dinner that steams its own sauce.

Niter kebbeh, Ethiopian spiced clarified butter infused with ginger, turmeric, cardamom, fenugreek, cinnamon, and cloves. The foundation of Ethiopian cooking.

Copycat Olive Garden Shrimp Cristoforo: shrimp sauteed in a homemade basil, garlic, and parmesan compound butter, then tossed with linguine. A restaurant-style shrimp pasta that comes together fast once the butter is made.

Linguine tossed with a buttery spinach sauce simmered in white wine with onions, garlic, mushrooms, and basil, then finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano. A pantry-friendly weeknight pasta.

Ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers filled with creamy ricotta, Asiago, chopped almonds, basil and parsley. Delicate squash blossoms baked until warm, elegant enough for company, easy enough for a summer Tuesday.

Authentic Italian trenette pasta tossed with fresh basil pesto, tender potatoes, and crisp green beans. A Ligurian classic using one pot for everything, ready in 40 minutes.

Herbed Asparagus with Shiitakes and Parmesan recipe

The victual of choice to be served with vodka is of course caviar but other kinds of seafood and various salty morsels are also good choices.

Fish fillets are cooked on a bed of mushroom-bread stuffing in this dish. Just add a salad or vegetable, and dinner is served.

Savory bread machine loaf studded with diced pepperoni and Italian herbs for pizza-flavored bread perfect for sandwiches or snacking

Herb-seasoned chicken breasts marinated in white wine vinegar and fresh orange juice, then broiled until juicy. Served over wild rice drizzled with the savory pan drippings.

Italian-seasoned chicken breasts slow-cooked in tomato soup and red wine, then finished with rice right in the crockpot. A hands-off weeknight dinner that serves 4 with zero fuss.