Basil (sweet basil)

basilico; sweet basil

Flavor and role: The signature herb of Italian cooking, with a sweet, fresh aroma. Chopping with a knife turns it black, so tear it by hand or add it at the end.
Typical dishes and uses: Pesto alla genovese, margherita pizza, caprese, tomato sauce, ratatouille. In this book: ratatouille, Marry Me chicken and lasagna soup.
Substitutes: 1 tbsp fresh basil (chopped) = 1 tsp dried basil (weaker aroma). For pesto, a mix of spinach + flat-leaf parsley can be used.
Storage: With stems in a glass of water at room temperature, it keeps 3-5 days. Blended with olive oil and frozen in an ice cube tray, 3 months.
Main countries: Italy
Used in this book: Ratatouille Marry Me Chicken Lasagna Soup Adjapsandali Bruschetta al Pomodoro Chakhokhbili (Georgian Chicken and Tomato Stew)Potato Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil Margherita Pizza Minestrone Pastel de Choclo Pasta al Pesto Genovese Porotos Granados Salade Niçoise Oven-Roasted Adjapsandali with Garlic-Herb Paste Sichuan Doubanjiang Adjapsandali (Georgian × Chinese)Adjapsandali Bulgur Bowl with Herbed Yogurt and Crispy Chickpeas Arancini Waffles with Marinara Dip Masak Merah Chicken Parmigiana (Malaysian × Italian)Bicol Express Coconut Rigatoni with Crispy Pork Belly and Parmesan (Filipino × Italian)Cassava Gnocchi with Bobó Shrimp Sauce (Brazilian × Italian)Bolognese Cheese-Pull Toastie Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta with Garlic Confit and Burrata Bruschetta Pull-Apart Cheese Bread Skillet Bannock Pizza Margherita (Italian-style)White Wine Chakhokhbili with Tarragon Herb Butter Georgian Chicken Tinga Tacos (Georgian × Mexican)Chakhokhbili Herb Orzo Bake with Melted Mozzarella Sheet-Pan Chicken Cacciatore Gnocchi with Mozzarella Parmesan-Panko Chicken Parma with Slow-Simmered Napoli and Prosciutto Rosé Dakbokkeumtang (Gochujang Tomato Cream Chicken)Seared Beef and Smoked Fish Egusi with Scent Leaf Mortadella and Burrata Focaccia Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto Gazpacho Granita Tomato & Burrata Salad Italian Tomato-Mozzarella Gyeran-jjim İmam Bayıldı Parmigiana (Turkish x Italian)Chicken Katsu Parmigiana Don Prawn Laksa Spaghetti Red Wine Ragù Lasagna Soup with Lemon Basil Ricotta Bubbling Lasagna Dip with Garlic Baguette Crispy Lasagna Cups Clay-Pot Lobio with Toasted Walnuts, Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs Malai Kofta Spaghetti in Makhani Tomato Cream (Indian × Italian)Malawach Margherita Pizza 24-Hour Neapolitan-Style Margherita Margherita Pull-Apart Pizza Rolls Crispy-Skin Marry Me Chicken Thighs with White Wine Pan Sauce Marry Me Chicken Baguette Melt Genoese Minestrone with Pesto Roasted Minestrone Salad Bowl Gazpacho Tomato Naengmyeon Miso Eggplant Parmigiana (Japanese × Italian)Tomato Basil Oden (Japanese × Italian)Pastel de Choclo with Knife-Cut Beef Pino and White-Wine Chicken Pastel de Choclo Muffins with a Pino Centre Linguine with Blanched-Basil Pesto & Potato Cream Korean Perilla-Basil Pesto Spaghetti with Garlic Shrimp Pesto Eggs on Lemon-Ricotta Toast Pisto Puff Tartlets with Honey Ricotta Pkhali Pesto Spaghetti (Georgian × Italian)Porotos Granados with Pilco and Merkén Oil Porotos Granados Doenjang Stew (Chilean × Korean)Smashed Porotos Granados Toast Ratatouille Cheese Melt Toast Seared Tuna Niçoise with Jammy Eggs and Anchovy-Caper Dressing Whipped Tuna Niçoise Tartine with Olive Crumb Pizza Samosas Shan Tomato Chicken Spaghetti with Garlic-Peanut Pangrattato (Burmese x Italian)Overnight Lamb Shashlik with Achichuk Salad Sopaipilla Montanara (Chilean × Neapolitan)Spaghettoni all'Assassina with Fresh Tomato Broth and Stracciatella Spaghetti Assassina Pizza with Melted Mozzarella Tomato-Bacon Minestrone Sujebi (Korean × Italian)Popcorn Chicken Sando with Basil Mayo Italian Octopus, Mozzarella and Basil Takoyaki Caprese Tamagoyaki Tomato and Egg Spaghetti (Chinese meets Italian)Tonkatsu Parmigiana Tomato Yosenabe with Basil-Parmesan Risotto (Japanese × Italian)Yuxiang Eggplant Spaghetti with Basil and Parmesan (Chinese × Italian)Zaalouk Pasta alla Norma

Updated 2026-10-10