Pasta with basil is a classic summer dish in the south of France. When you have fresh basil plants or basil growing in your yard, it's the perfect quick and easy dinner idea — it's also fresh and easy for entertaining and picnics.
Pasta bow tie, penne, or pasta of your choice (100 grams per person for a main dish and 25- 50 grams for primi piatti)
2 -3 cups of fresh basil
About a 1/2 cup to one cup of fresh parmesan
Extra virgin olive oil
Cook the pasta al dente, about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes less cooking time than the package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta.
Chop fresh basil or use a mini food processor to mince it. When I make this dish, I never measure the basil or cheese. The quantities are guidelines; add more or less basil or cheese to your liking.
Toss the pasta with the basil, olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan, and sea salt.
Use a vegetable peeler to add a few shavings of Parmesan for a lovely presentation.
This dish is also good without olive oil — toss some pasta with a lot of basil, some Parmesan, and sea salt.
You can skip the Parmesan too, or add cherry tomatoes.
Serving cold or room temp is perfect for picnics or parties.
A simple summer menu idea is Caesar salad, pasta au basilique, and fruit salad.
You may also like these equally easy pasta salad ideas — they're also great for kids' parties.
Sausage tomato and basil pasta.
