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Those who have their own little garden will be familiar with different seasonal harvests; knowing which plants are best during which time of the year. When it comes to summer harvests, fragrant-heavy basil and rich, juicy tomatoes are big stars. These two plants love the heat and can often be grown together, but that’s not all!
Basil and tomato make as great a pairing on the plate as they do in the garden thanks to their complementary flavors. Just try one of the following recipes, and we’re sure you will agree!
1. Liven up your pasta with this savory creamy tomato basil pasta sauce recipe.
Some of the best tomato and basil recipes are about using the two foods as ways to spice up otherwise bland main dishes. This creamy tomato basil pasta sauce recipe is a fantastic example of that! Follow this recipe’s instructions to create a thick and savory sauce that you can pour on any ravioli, including frozen ravioli, to transform it from a basic pasta entree into something fresher and more flavorful thanks to the tangy and sweet flavors of fresh tomatoes and the warmer, more herbal flavors of fresh basil.
You can also use this recipe with any other type of pasta, frozen or from the box.
2. Love yourself some chilled summer soups? Pair them up with a buttered piece of this tomato and basil bread machine bread recipe.
If you love eating fresh foods, then a bread machine makes for a perfect kitchen investment! These fantastic machines are available for cheap and make it possible to quickly and easily make mouth-watering bread like this tomato and basil bread machine bread that can be made with fresh tomatoes and basil right from your own garden. Forget processed! This delicious homemade bread is the perfect pairing for summer soups like chilled gazpacho or to liven up your summer snack items, such as using this bread for cucumber sandwiches.
The tomato and basil baked into the bread will give a fresher, more tangy complement to the cucumbers and cream cheese.
3. Don’t have a bread machine? No problemo. Check out this easy and savory basil and tomato bread recipe.
Bread machines are fantastic pieces of kitchen equipment, but you don’t need them to make bread. Nor do you need to wait hours for the yeast to activate your dough before you can start baking. All you need is an easy quick bread recipe like this one that utilizes baking soda to give the dough a quick rise and get bakers on target to start enjoying their bread within an hour’s time from start to end (that is to say from gathering the ingredients to pulling out of the oven).
This delicious recipe features the easiness of quick bread and combines it with the sweet and flavorful pairing of tomato and basil.
4. Salads are not defined as having lettuce, spruce up your veggie intake with this yummy tomato basil salad.
Ditch the traditional greens and swap in basil to complement your grape tomatoes for this delicious salad recipe (you can also substitute cherry tomatoes for this recipe and enjoy similar, if a little sweeter, results). This tomato salad recipe does involve a little sauteing but note that is not for your tomatoes or basil. Rather, the goal here is to brown up the garlic and heat up a touch of oil to add a burst of flavor into what is predominately a tomato salad.
We love this tomato and basil salad paired with grilled seafood or steaks or packed into a cold lunch.
5. Grab out the Charcuterie board and add this garlic-basil tomatoes with mozzarella recipe for an ultimate snack offering.
This is a simple recipe that will show you how to quickly and easily dress up medium to large tomatoes for use in a Charcuterie platter or similar snack type of set-up. Easy to prepare, this really boosts the flavor profile of your dish. However, while simple, for a really delicious result, this garlic-basil tomatoes with recipe will take time (this is not a good choice for those needing a last-minute recipe).
You will want to follow the full three-hour marination step for the best results!
6. Don’t have three hours of marinating time? Check out this 20-minute tomato and basil Caprese salad.
We get it, not everyone has that three hours to marinate their tomatoes. If you are on the hunt for something fast but also something that will enhance the taste of those tomatoes and mozzarella, this is a good Caprese salad alternative. The longest part of this recipe is completing the balsamic reduction, but you can choose to forgo that, substituting for the more traditional Italian style of the dish which features drizzled olive oil instead.
7. Let’s switch gears and introduce this tasty homemade roasted tomato basil soup.
Tomato soup is something of a staple American food. It’s that perfect dish for when you need something to liven you up thanks to the sweet and salty flavors of rich tomatoes. But for the best effects of a flavorful bowl of tomato soup, you need to make it with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.
Once you get your hands on those, check out this easy and delicious soup recipe that involves roasting the tomatoes to really bring out their flavors.
8. Opt for a saltier soup rendition with this tomato-basil and asiago cheese soup.
Tomato soup is grand, but sometimes it can feel a bit bland. Even when you do add in the basil. This tasty soup recipe is a good choice if you’ve been struggling with your tomato soups, wanting them to be a bit more flavorful but don’t know quite what they need.
Here, that star ingredient is asiago cheese which gives the whole of the soup a saltier and more robust flavor.
9. Make your soup even chunkier and more flavorful with this fire-roasted tomato-basil crab bisque.
Canned and similarly-packaged crab bisques never have quite the same punch as homemade versions. This is one of those dishes where you really need fresh crab meat and other fresh ingredients in order to achieve that true flavor. So if you want fresh soup, grab yourself a pound of crab meat and gather your fresh tomatoes and basil for this savory soup recipe.
It will take about 30 minutes to prep and a full 60 minutes on the stovetop to achieve the best flavor.
10. Crunch into a flavorful baked tomato dish with this tomato basil pie.
Forget pizza, consider making this delightful and filling baked tomato basil pie as your main course. This recipe will take some planning as you will need to set aside 20 minutes of prep time and 60 minutes of baking time, but the result is a big, flavorful meal that will serve 8. Best of all, ingredients here can be gotten for cheap thanks to the usage of an Original Bisquick mix for the pie crust and basic ingredients for the rest.
11. Wait, did somebody say pizza? If you want more of a traditional pizza that uses up your tomatoes and fresh basil, then you want this tomato and basil pizza.
This fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomato, and basil pizza recipe makes a thin, crispy pizza perfect both as a meal and as a serving snack for a large group. With this recipe, you will begin with pre-bought fresh pizza dough (or you can bring your own to the table) and then assemble your ingredients to bake up the delicious Margherita–style pizza. Plan for an hour of prep and baking time.
12. Mix up all the veggies and serve them up in style with this corn, tomato, and basil salad.
This special salad recipe is great for late summer and early fall when corn and tomatoes are in full harvest, and you want something light but filling. There is a lot of corn in this salad, and it uniquely adds in white miso for a powerful savory kick. Grab some fresh parsley to combine with the fresh basil in this recipe for the best effects.
13. If you’re in the mood for something really unique, try this tomato and basil ice cream as a dessert.
Didn’t your momma ever tell you to try everything once? This tomato and basil ice cream is quite delicious but will require some significant prep work. First, you are going to need to prepare tomato water, which is done by puréeing ripe tomatoes in a blender and pouring them into a colander lined with cheesecloth to slowly drip out the pure tomato water into an underlying bowl.
Once you have your tomato water ready, you can get started mixing it up with basil and vanilla ice cream to try this sweet and tangy dessert concoction
14. If you have a family of growing kids or tired working adults, then you will love this oven baked meatballs in tomato cream sauce that is easy, filling, and oh so satisfying after a long day outside.
This fantastic oven baked meatballs recipe features both fresh tomatoes and basil, but the big star is certainly the meatballs. You are going to simmer these flavorful meatballs before baking them, really getting them to soak in the tomato and basil cream sauce. Once you’ve baked them, you can serve them up as-is as the main dish or serve them alongside pasta or a thick bread perfect for soaking up the cream sauce.
15. Cut down on your carbs and enjoy a fresh meal with this savory crustless tomato-basil breakfast tart recipe.
Reducing or even aiming to eliminate your carbs can be a hard diet choice. It’s important to find easy recipes that you’ll love in order to stay on track; recipes like this very crustless tomato-basil breakfast tart recipe. This delicious recipe takes just 10 minutes to bake and creates a half-dozen delicious breakfast treats that you can enjoy right out of the oven, or pop them in a to-go container for a treat once you get to school or work.
16. Up your lunch date by bringing a couple of these basil-tomato grilled cheese sandwiches.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are very satisfying, but they can get boring pretty quickly. Even with children. Choose to dress up those sandwiches with this easy basil-tomato combo upgrade. For the best effects, make sure to follow the recipe’s recommendation of Italian bread as it really brings out the flavor of the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
17. Get dinner on the table fast with this one-pot tomato basil pasta recipe.
Some days you don’t have the energy to build up a big meal with lots of side dishes. Some days you just don’t want to deal with the dishes those types of meals create. For those days, you want a one-pot recipe like this tomato basil pasta for which you can load up the ingredients step-by-step all in one pot.
Best of all, the result is a delicious, layered meal everyone will enjoy!
18. This cheesy tomato basil baked orzo is a good choice when you have extra time and want to build up a unique dish.
Orzo is an interesting flavor as it feels part-rice and part-pasta. It also happens to be an exceptionally good base for pairing with sweet and tangy tomatoes and aromatic basil. We recommend this recipe for use as a flavorful side dish, such as when you have a potluck to go to.
It will take just 45 minutes for full prep and cook time, making it a good choice when you’re on a time crunch.
19. Use that boxed Hamburger Helper to complete this 30-minute, 5-ingredient tomato basil Italian sausage skillet.
This is another hot pick for those in a hurry. This 5-ingredient recipe works fast by relying on a box of Hamburger Helper but don’t let that deceive you. The result of this 30-minute meal is big and flavorful, especially when you compliment the boxed portion of the ingredient list with fresh tomatoes and basil from your own garden.
20. If you don’t want to use boxed ingredients but do want a big, meat-centric meal, check out this tomato basil chicken recipe.
If you don’t jibe with boxed ingredients, then you will appreciate this tomato basil chicken recipe that is about just as simple (10 ingredients) total, but one that you can do with all fresh ingredients for a more robust, from your garden to the table, meal. This recipe takes about one hour to prepare and cook fully, feeding as written a serving size of four.