Lemon Basil Pasta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do you do with lemon basil? ›

Taste and Uses

Lemon basil is mild enough to flavor grilled fish or shrimp and can be substituted for basil if you are looking for a fresh twist of flavor. Finely chop and add it to pasta with julienne vegetables and a flavorful extra virgin olive oil for a light and delicious meal.

At the last moment, remove the pan from the heat; add the extra-virgin olive oil, butter, basil and cheese. Mix thoroughly until the pasta is an orangy color. Taste again and adjust the salt if necessary.

Health benefits

Lemon basil has moderate levels of beta-carotene and high levels of vitamin K, which are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin K in Lemon Basil is essential for the production of clotting factors in the blood and plays a vital role in the bone strengthening and mineralization.

Lemon Juice is the Trick to a Creamier Cream Sauce | Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. Parmesan does the heavy-lifting in this 25 minute pasta dish.

The leaves are used in certain Thai curries and it is also used in noodle soup dishes. In Western cuisine the lemon basil makes a great pesto and can be used to top fish or shrimp. it adds a lovely flavor to vinegars and desserts. The flowers are edible too and are delicious in fruit or green salads.

My first foray into culinary uses of lemon basil began by substituting it for sweet basil in my regular pesto recipe. This brought about glorious results and I soon began adding it to many different dishes to see how that luscious lemon flavor might brighten them up.

Genovese basil is probably the most popular variety. It is a traditional type, excellent for pesto-making, pasta sauce or in a freshly harvested tomato salad.

Basil is commonly used fresh in cooked recipes. In general, it is added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the flavor.

In some people basil can cause low blood sugar. The above-ground parts of basil and basil oil are POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth as a medicine, long-term. These contain estragole, a chemical that might increase the risk of getting liver cancer.

Bleeding disorders: Basil oils and extracts might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding in people with bleeding disorders. Low blood pressure: Basil extracts might lower blood pressure. In theory, taking basil extracts might make blood pressure become too low in people with low blood pressure.

Is basil good for high blood pressure? ›

The eugenol in basil can block calcium channels, which may help to lower blood pressure. Its essential oils can help lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. Basil also contains magnesium, which can help improve your blood flow by allowing your muscles and blood vessels to relax.

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn't just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better and emulsify with the fat and cheese you're going to be adding.

Fresh, just-squeezed lemon or lime juice does wonders for a pan sauce. But if you've ever added it to a sauce too early, you know how funky it tastes when it cooks. Avoid discoloration and a bitter flavor by only adding the juice after you remove the sauce (or stew, or soup, or whatever) from the heat.

Most types of culinary basil are native to warm regions of Asia and Africa. They grow as perennial plants in USDA Zones 10–11. In cooler climates where frost occurs, culinary basils are grown as annual plants and don't survive the winter.

Harvest and Storage

If you want to dry your basil and take an entire harvest before flowering or frost, cut sprigs to the soil level and hang upside down for drying in a warm, dark, well-ventilated area. Storage: Fresh leaves will not keep over two or three days, even with refrigeration.

I cut mine back about 4 to 5 times during the growing season, which allows the plant to multiply and florish and also keeps it from flowering. Once you let your basil flower, the leaves turn somewhat bitter and will produce no more; it wants to make seed.

Description/Taste

Lemon basil has a unique herbal, sweet, and tangy flavor with notes of lemon mixed with anise. In the late summer, the plants also produce lemon-scented, small white flowers that bloom on long, light green bracts.