Garden Herbs can be used in just about anything and everything! From cocktails to desserts and everything in between, fresh garden herbs truly make any recipe taste even better. Here are a few rich sauce recipes using fresh herbs from your garden. These sauces make for a delicious addition to any meal!
Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3.5kg tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 120ml olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook the tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a skillet pan, until the onions are softened. Combine the two mixtures together and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com
Fresh Herb Sauce
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons loosely packed fresh parsley
- 6 tablespoonsloosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons loosely packed mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- Dash of crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine and process all ingredients, with the exception of the olive oil in a food processor. Process all the ingredients until they are finely minced. Keep the processor running and slowly pour the olive oil through the chute. Continue to process until well blended.
Adapted from: Bill & Cheryl Jamison, Cooking Light JUNE 2008
Spaghetti with Fresh Pesto Sauce
Ingredients:
- 55g of chopped fresh basil and parsley
- 4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 tablespoons of pine nuts
- 140 ml of olive oil
- 2 crushed cloves of garlic
- salt and pepper
- spaghetti
Directions:
Combine the parsley, basil, crushed garlic and half of the pine nuts in a food processor. Keep the food processor on and slowly add the olive oil to the mixture. Once the mixture begins to thicken, stop processing and add salt and pepper. Cook the spaghetti accordingly to the directions on the box. Place the drained spaghetti back into the pan and mix the pesto sauce and the Parmesan cheese together with the spaghetti. Top with pine nuts as a garnish.
Adapted from: HelpingwithCooking.com
Basil Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
- 12 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 60ml olive oil
- 50g pine nuts
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 570ml light cream
Directions:
Combine basil and garlic in a food processor. Process the two ingredient together and slowly add the olive oil, while continuing to process the ingredients. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan and process for about 1 minute. Slowly heat the cream in a saucepan over low heat until the cream begins to simmer. Combine half of the hot cream into the processor with basil pesto, and pulse for 20-30 seconds. Pour the entire mixture back into the remaining cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com
Italian Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 220g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon red wine – dry
- 1.25kg Italian plum tomatoes – fresh, cored and cut into eighths OR 2 cans chopped Italian plum tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper – crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, lightly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Sauté the garlic and onion in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes in a large saucepan. Add the mushrooms and wine, and continue to cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Purée the tomatoes with water until smooth in a food processor.
Combine the tomatoes to the mixture in the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Add the red pepper, oregano, basil, marjoram, and salt, and cook for 5 more minutes.
Adapted from: CDKitchen.com
If you have any other recipes using Garden Herbs, please feel free to post them in the comments below:
