How to Make the Perfect Margherita Pizza in 10 Steps
Pizzas
Glossário Culinário
Basil
Basil is an aromatic herb with bright green leaves and a sweet scent, with notes of clove and anise, a symbol of Italian cooking. It is the ingredient that defines pesto sauce and margherita pizza, where it appears next to tomato and mozzarella. Fresh and delicate, it loses aroma easily, so it is usually used raw or added at the last moment.
Characteristics
The most common basil has oval, soft, deep-green leaves with a sweet, refreshing scent. There are variants such as purple basil, with purplish leaves and a stronger flavor, and small-leaf basil, used in Thai dishes. The herb is sensitive to cold and heat: it darkens in the refrigerator and wilts fast in high temperatures. Fresh leaves should look lively, with no dark spots, and ideally grow it in a pot in the kitchen, picking leaves as you use them.
Uses in the kitchen
Basil shines in pasta with tomato sauce, lasagnas, pizzas and salads such as caprese, with tomato, mozzarella and olive oil. It is the base of Genoese pesto, blended with pine nuts or other nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. It also flavors soups such as minestrone, sandwiches, bruschettas and seasoned oils. In Thai cooking, local varieties go into spicy stir-fries and curries. To keep the flavor, tear the leaves by hand instead of chopping with a knife and always add off the heat or to finish.
Substitutions
Without fresh basil on hand, consider:
- Fresh oregano: comes close to the Italian profile in pizzas and tomato sauces.
- Parsley with a touch of mint: mimics some of the freshness in salads and finishing.
- Dried basil: works in long-cooked sauces, using about one-third of the fresh amount.
Fun facts
Basil leaves darken by oxidation when cut with a dull knife or crushed, so cutting into thin strips with a sharp blade keeps the color better. To store, blend the leaves with olive oil and freeze in trays, or keep the sprigs in a glass of water at room temperature, like flowers. Avoid storing in the coldest part of the refrigerator, as too much cold burns the leaves.
