Best 20 Pasta And Basil Recipes

FRESH TOMATO, BASIL, AND GARLIC SAUCE OVER ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath. Cut a small "x" on the bottom of each tomato. In batches, place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the skins are easy to peel away. Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath. Peel the tomatoes and halve horizontally. Squeeze out the seeds, using your fingers to get them all. Roughly chop the peeled and seeded tomatoes. Set aside. (You can also use whole peeled canned tomatoes. Simply drain them, seed, and roughly chop).
• Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the thyme leaves, oregano sprig, and chili flakes and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and the sugar and stir well. Lower the heat and cook slowly until the mixture is fairly dry, about 15 minutes.
• Cook the angel hair pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the Parmesan and basil and toss well. Place in a large pasta bowl and garnish with Parmesan and basil sprigs.

SUMMER PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.

LEMON SHRIMP WITH PASTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes or until al dente.
• Add shrimp and drain immediately.
• Return pasta mixture to the pan.
• Combine next 5 ingredients in a bowl.
• Toss with cooked pasta and shrimp.
• Sprinkle cheese over pasta and serve immediately.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.

CORN, TOMATO, AND BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and a generous amount of salt. Cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, and run under cold water to cool. Drain well; set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook until translucent, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add corn. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until color is set, and the corn is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat; let stand until cool.
• In a large bowl, combine pasta, corn mixture, tomatoes, basil, parsley, lemon juice, and cheese. Toss to combine. Taste, and adjust for seasoning.

PASTA SALAD WITH SUMMER TOMATOES, BASIL AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, capers, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, the whole basil sprig and anchovies if using. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir in 1/2 cup oil. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. The tomatoes should be aggressively seasoned. Let tomatoes marinate for at least 1 hour and preferably 2 to 3.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it is just al dente, usually a minute less than the package instructions. Drain well. Add to bowl with tomatoes while still warm and toss well. Let pasta cool, soaking up the dressing. Let pasta sit at room temperature for at least another hour and up to 6 hours before serving. Or chill for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.
• Just before serving, gently fold in torn basil leaves. Top with more olive oil and cracked black pepper before serving.

LOBSTER PASTA WITH YELLOW TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• If using whole lobsters, cook them in abundant boiling water for 6 minutes. Cool, remove meat from tail, claws and knuckles, and chop into 1/2-inch chunks.
• Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook pasta.
• Meanwhile, pour olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook for 1 minute, without browning. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Add lobster meat, stir to coat, cook 1 minute, then turn off heat until pasta is ready.
• When pasta is al dente, drain, add to skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well and transfer to a warmed wide bowl or platter. Add basil, toss once more and serve immediately.

PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, RICOTTA, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a jelly-roll pan toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste and roast in oven, shaking pan occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While eggplant is roasting, in a heavy skillet cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper with salt and pepper to taste in remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes and pepper are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar and roasted eggplant.
• In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente and drain well, reserving about 3/4 cup cooking water. In a bowl toss pasta well with sauce, ricotta, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and enough reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency.

PASTA WITH TOMATOES, PINE NUTS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts and garlic and sauté until light brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and next 3 ingredients and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan separately.

CLAM PASTA WITH BASIL AND HOT PEPPER

Steps:

• Make the purée: Grind basil and parsley together in a food processor. (Alternatively, hand chop herbs or pound them in a mortar.) Add garlic paste and 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rapid boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions, taking care to keep pasta quite al dente. It's best to use a timer, and drain pasta as soon as it's done.
• While pasta is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic, fennel seed if using and pepperoncino, and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add clams, stirring to coat with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to high, add wine and put on the lid. Cook, covered, until all clams have opened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off heat. (Discard any clams that fail to open.)
• Add cooked pasta and basil purée to pot and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves and lemon wedges.

PASTA WITH TOMATOES, MOZZARELLA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Mix tomatoes, mozzarella, oil and vinegar in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature. Mix in basil.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot. Add tomato mixture and toss gently to blend. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

FOREPLAY PASTA WITH BRIE, BASIL, AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Mix Brie cheese, plum tomatoes, basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl; cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 2 hours.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook bow-tie pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Add pasta to cheese-tomato mixture; toss. Sprinkle pasta with Parmesan cheese.

GARLIC AND BASIL CHICKEN PASTA WITH ALFREDO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut fat off of chicken. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, wine vinegar, basil, chives, garlic, salt, & pepper.
• Sautee chicken in large skillet until no longer pink and nicely seared on both sides. This will take approximately 30 minutes on med-high heat with an electric stove.
• While chicken is sauteeing, cook pasta according to package instructions. Spoon mixture from step 2 over chicken about 2 minutes before it is done cooking.
• When pasta is done, drain in colander and place in a large (very large) bowl. Add chicken and alfredo sauce to the noodles. Use a scooper to incorporate well.
• Serve and enjoy!

SUMMER SQUASH AND BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until very lightly browned around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add squash; season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until squash begins to break down and gets jammy (they may start to stick to the skillet a bit, which means you are there!), 12-15 minutes. Toss in 1 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente.
• Transfer pasta to skillet using a slotted spoon or spider and add 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook pasta, adding 2 oz. Parmesan in stages along with more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente. Toss in lemon juice and most of the basil.
• Divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan and Aleppo-style pepper and remaining basil.

PASTA WITH ROASTED SUMMER VEGETABLES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide squash, tomatoes, onions, and garlic between two large rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat and then spread evenly. Roast (without tossing) until tender and starting to brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pot.
• Add roasted vegetables, butter, parmesan, and basil to pot; season with salt and pepper, and toss gently with pasta to combine. Reheat over medium-low if necessary before serving.

SPICY CLAM PASTA WITH BACON, PEAS AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put basil, parsley and garlic in a mortar or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup oil. Pound or whiz to obtain a bright green purée.
• Put a pot of water on to boil and make it very salty. (It will boil faster with the lid on.)
• Over medium heat, render bacon in its own fat until browned and crisp but not hard, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off fat but leave a small amount in the pan, just to coat the bottom.
• Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the clams, serrano chile and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring and coating clams well. Add peas and warm through, then turn off heat.
• Boil pasta and cook until slightly underdone. Drain pasta and add to pan with clams. Turn heat to medium-high and stir all together. Add a splash of pasta water, if it seems dry. Add basil purée and toss well. Top with bacon and reserved basil leaves. Pass lemon wedges.

BASIL CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• In a large pot with boiling salted water cook rotini pasta until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet melt the butter or margarine. Add the chopped chicken and garlic, saute until lightly brown and juices run clear. Stir in the ground black pepper, dried basil, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Toss drained pasta with basil sauce and serve immediately.

PASTA WITH MINT, BASIL AND FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• In a small skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts, shaking the pan frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• In a blender or mini food processor, combine Parmesan, basil, mint, garlic, salt and chile flakes. Pulse to combine, then add oil and process until smooth, adding more oil if needed to make a smooth paste. Taste and adjust salt and chile flakes if needed.
• Transfer 2 tablespoons sauce to a small bowl and stir in mozzarella. Cover and let marinate at room temperature while boiling the pasta.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Use a mug to scoop out approximately 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl.
• To serve, toss pasta with sauce and marinated mozzarella, adding a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture looks dry. (It's O.K. if the mozzarella melts slightly while you're tossing.) Top with pine nuts, torn basil and mint, black pepper, Parmesan and another drizzle of oil to serve.

PASTA WITH PEAS, CRAB, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and generously add salt. Stir in pasta; cook according to package instructions until it is al dente. Transfer to a colander, and let drain.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook until they are translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add peas, and season with salt and pepper; cook until peas are tender and bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Add crab, and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it is heated through, about 1 minute more. Add the pasta, and stir to combine.
• Stir in cream and basil, and cook until mixture is just heated through. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving plates, and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

SPICY PASTA SALAD WITH SMOKED GOUDA, TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water until no longer hot; set aside.
• Make the dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and the adobo sauce in a small bowl.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, dressing, tomatoes and gouda. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed, and even an extra teaspoon or 2 of vinegar, if necessary. Stir in the basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.