Fresh Basil
Fresh basil gives pesto its leafy base and brings a final aromatic note to Sicilian caponata.
- Italian name
- Basilico fresco
- Italian uses
- Pesto and caponata
At the table
The basil consortium’s pesto starts with washed, carefully dried leaves, worked with garlic, pine nuts and cheese. Visit Sicily instead adds basil when serving caponata. The recipe tells you what role the leaves play.
A herb and a protected name
Fresh basil is a broad ingredient. Basilico Genovese DOP is the particular product specified by the consortium’s pesto recipe; the two names are not automatically interchangeable.
