24 Recipes To Use Up Your Leftover Basil

Cooking with fresh herbs is an easy way to enhance the flavor of a dish. Whether you sprinkle chopped leaves on top to garnish, cook the herbs in a sauce, or blitz them into an herby dip, the options are plentiful. Basil stands out as a versatile and lovable herb, in part due to its association with comforting Italian dishes like margherita pizza and tomato pasta. If that's the extent of your experimentation with the herb, it's time you expanded your repertoire.

We've collected 24 ideas from Tasting Table recipe developers that incorporate basil. Whether you're so inspired that you go out of your way to buy basil for a dish, or just use the leftover bunch in your fridge to whip up one of these tasty specialties, you're sure to be satisfied. From assorted pizza and pasta dishes to pestos, salads, sandwiches, and unexpected twists, read on for the scoop on these delicious recipes.

Everyone needs a pesto recipe in their back pocket, and this sauce is bright and fresh in all the right ways. It's really as easy as adding all the ingredients to a blender or food processor. For this classic version, use garlic, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice, loads of basil, olive oil, salt, and capers. Blitz it until the consistency is to your liking, then use it to dress pasta or as a spread for a sandwich or green pizza.

Recipe: Bright And Fresh Pesto

Add a salty tang to standard pesto by using sun-dried tomatoes. This recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Blend the ingredients in a food processor to make a smooth paste (or keep it a little chunky for extra texture). Pick your choice of pasta shape, remembering that more curves mean more places for pesto to hide, and boil it. Once ready, toss the cooked pasta with pesto and top your dish with a couple of sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves to finish.

Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

This Ligurian pesto pasta brings the taste of Italy to your home. As per traditional recipes, use a mortar and pestle to slowly grind the ingredients together. Start with garlic and pine nuts, then add basil leaves, salt, Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino cheese, and olive oil. Boil cubed potatoes, green beans, and trofie, a classic Ligurian twisting pasta shape. When everything is ready, combine the potatoes, green beans, and pasta with the fresh basil pesto for a multi-layered sensation.

Recipe: Ligurian Pesto Pasta

Basil can and should be a part of your dessert lineup, as basil citrus granita proves. This frosty treat is easy to make as long as you have a few hours to spare while it freezes. Make a lemon, lime, and basil syrup, then freeze it in a shallow pan. To achieve a granita texture, use a fork to scrape it a couple of times an hour until it's solid. Then, scrape it again with a fork before serving to create a crushed-ice consistency.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Basil Citrus Granita

While you may be accustomed to only using regular basil, it comes in several varieties, including Thai basil. Boasting a bold licorice note and spiced flavor, it pairs well with meat, as evidenced by these fresh and fragrant Thai basil beef rolls. Load rice paper rolls with a savory ground beef mixture seasoned with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, Chinese five spice, shallots, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and Thai basil. Roll the meat up with scallions, cilantro, lettuce, and avocado for a filling main or refreshing appetizer.

Recipe: Fresh And Fragrant Thai Basil Beef Rolls

Tomato soup is as traditional as it gets, but this Tuscan pappa al pomodoro transforms your standard recipe into a delectably chunky dish that hits the spot. Sauté onion and garlic in a pan, then add white wine to simmer. Toss in chunks of stale bread to toast, then pour chicken stock over the top and simmer again. Crush canned San Marzano tomatoes and add them into the mixture before continuing to simmer it to infuse flavor. Finish by garnishing this delicious soup with fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and Parmesan.

Recipe: Tuscan Pappa Al Pomodoro

This tasty grilled sandwich features a savory basil pesto with thickly sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella. Make a quick batch of pesto by combining basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Once the mixture reaches a smooth consistency, use it to coat one side of the bread and spread butter over the other. Toast the sandwiches in a hot cast-iron pan until the bread is golden brown and the cheese melts and becomes gooey.

Recipe: Grilled Pesto Mozzarella Sandwich

If you love the timeless combination of tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic, this tri-color salad is a winner. Instead of tossing all the ingredients together, fan them out on a plate for the full effect. This recipe calls for vine-ripened tomatoes for a sweet taste that matches the basil and cheese. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the top for a rich and sweet touch, then season the salad simply with salt and pepper. Serve this gorgeous dish as part of a main course or solo as an appetizer; don't forget crusty bread to soak up the juices!

Recipe: Fresh Tomato And Mozzarella Salad

Prepare a yeasted pizza dough and spread it out on a baking sheet to make a large rectangular surface. Spread tomato sauce all across the top and sprinkle as much mozzarella cheese as you like to cover. Bake this Sicilian-style pizza in a hot oven, then let it cool before cutting it into squares and garnishing it with thinly sliced basil leaves. You'll get a dazzling colorful topping, as well as a delightfully herbal kick in every cheesy bite. Who needs a side salad when you've got basil?

Recipe: Sheet Pan Sicilian Pizza

Prepare this easy pan-fried fish dish with just a few basic ingredients. Coat sardines or other small fish in a seasoned flour mixture, then pan-fry the fillets with chili and garlic until golden and crispy. Serve the crunchy fish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped basil and parsley. This delicious recipe uses basil in a unique pairing that brings an herbal element to this pan-fried dish. Enjoy it as an appetizer or as part of a seafood spread. 

Recipe: Chili-Garlic Pan-Fried Fish

This savory recipe features pesto as a rich marinade for pork chops. Combine the basil-based pesto with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and marinate the meat briefly to infuse flavor. Pan-fry the pork chops until they're nicely browned and cooked through, then serve them with more pesto, fresh basil leaves, and Parmesan cheese. If you've never paired pork chops with basil, we guarantee this full-on rendition will convert you. With such flavorful meat, all you need on the side are mashed potatoes or rice to complete the meal.

Recipe: Pesto Pork Chops

Fresh basil is a surprisingly great pairing with fruit, as evidenced by this grilled watermelon salad. Grill watermelon wedges until the surface is nicely charred, then chop the fruit into bite-sized pieces. Assemble your salad by combining spinach leaves and grilled watermelon cubes on a plate. Top the ingredients with sliced red onion, fresh chopped basil, and mint leaves, then crumble Mexican cotija cheese over the top. Finish it off with a glorious drizzle of balsamic reduction, made by reducing balsamic vinegar until it's thick and syrupy.

Recipe: Grilled Watermelon Salad