Tomato and basil can be used in a variety of dishes, including appetizers, soups, salads, and main meals. Fresh basil adds more flavor, while dried basil is better for tomato sauces and soups. Popular dishes include bruschetta, grilled tomato wedges, tomato basil soup, and Italian tomato sauce for spaghetti and pizza.
You can prepare appetizers, soups, salads and sauces as well as main meals with tomato and basil. Fresh basil will add more flavor, but the dried form is more concentrated and is better used in tomato sauces, grilled tomatoes, and soups rather than salads. A variety of different tomatoes and tomato products can be combined with herbs such as basil to create delicious and aromatic dishes.
Appetizer or snack ideas for basil and tomatoes include bruschetta (pronounced brusketta) and grilled tomato wedges. Bruschetta is a blend of ingredients such as fresh basil leaves, plum tomatoes, ground pepper, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. It can be spread on Italian or French toast, then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Tomatoes that are sliced, then topped with dried basil, Parmesan, and ground pepper before grilling can make a delicious side dish. Macaroni and cheese, rice dishes and roasted poultry are just a few of the possibilities that can be complemented by grilled tomatoes with basil.
Tomato basil soup is best made with fresh tomatoes. Fresh basil leaves also offer the richest flavor in soups, although the dried form can also be used. To make most soups, the tomato skin can be left on, but the seeds should be removed. Other vegetables such as thinly sliced sauteed onions can be added to tomato basil soups. Popular condiments include minced garlic, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Salads offer many different possibilities for combining basil and tomato. You can use crunchy greens like spinach or romaine lettuce, feta cheese, fresh basil leaves, chopped tomato chunks, and vinaigrette dressing to create a salad that’s suitable for a light meal. Another option would be to toss the salad greens with halved cherry tomatoes, thin strips of ham, chopped fresh basil leaves, bean sprouts or thinly sliced celery, and serve with a creamy dressing. Macaroni salad is another way you can use tomato and basil, but it should be chilled for at least a few hours before serving. Mix the cooked macaroni with ingredients such as halved cherry tomatoes, ham cubes, chopped fresh basil, pepper, mustard, mayonnaise and sour cream.
An Italian tomato sauce can be a good base for many main dishes such as spaghetti and pizza. Plum or another variety of tomato can be simmered with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and garlic, as well as fresh or dried basil. You can also add salt, pepper and other herbs like oregano. Meatballs can be added when using tomato and base sauce to add to spaghetti.
Tomato Basil Sauce can be used as well as to coat a pizza dough crust before adding toppings. Sliced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves can make delicious and tasty pizza toppings. Cooked fettuccine or other pasta can be topped with a tomato-basil marinara sauce with seafood such as chunks of whitefish, clams, or shrimp. The basic marinara sauce can be made by boiling together tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, and garlic cloves that have first been sauteed in olive oil.
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