When I was growing up, I would frequently invite myself over to dinner at the Silvestri’s. Mr. and Mrs. Silvestri had immigrated from Italy, and I was friends with their oldest daughter, Anna. I fell in love with Mrs. Silvestri’s cooking. Her pasta was way better than my mom’s spaghetti—no offense, Mom—and I knew if I happened to be playing with Anna just before dinner, I would be invited to stay over. She made the absolute best pasta sauces I’d ever tasted.
Inspired by Mrs. Silvestri, I went to culinary school to learn how to make pasta from scratch. The biggest compliment about my cooking came from Mrs. Silvestri at my parents’ anniversary party, which I catered. To this day, I cook Italian dishes several times a week.
That’s why I love the Simply Nature Organic Stir-In Basil Paste ($2.39) from ALDI. It conveniently adds Italian flavor to my dishes all year long.
Why I Love Simply Nature Organic Stir-In Basil Paste
I grow my own basil in the summertime, but in the colder months, I have to buy fresh basil. Most times when I buy fresh basil, at least half of it goes bad before I can use it, even though I cook a lot of Italian food.
I used to buy frozen basil cubes from Trader Joe’s, but the store discontinued them. That’s why I was delighted to discover ALDI’s Simply Nature Organic Stir-In Basil Paste. The tube contains almost three ounces of basil paste. It’s just basil, olive oil, sea salt, and a little bit of lemon juice. It’s perfect for stirring into pasta sauces and so, so much more.
If you want to wake anything up with a pop of fresh-tasting basil, then this is going to be your go-to. I typically go through a tube every couple of weeks. After you open it, stash it in the refrigerator for up to a month. ALDI sells other flavors, including garlic and ginger, and I’ve seen specialty flavors like lemongrass once or twice a year, too.
Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph
How I Use Simply Nature Organic Stir-In Basil Paste
I toss a teaspoon (or two or three) into nearly every tomato sauce I make, whether it’s marinara, bolognese, amatriciana, pizza sauce… even when I make an Alfredo or cheese sauce. I’ve also used it to make jarred tomato sauce taste better.
I often stir in a teaspoon when I’m making scrambled eggs, and I spread it on garlic bread, too. It’s also great to mix into mayo if you’re making sandwiches or pasta salads.
For better-tasting meatballs, add two teaspoons to your meatball mixture, and you can also mix it with garlic and rub it over roasts. I have mixed it into homemade pizza dough, and I think it would taste great in homemade focaccia bread.
In fact, you can pretty much toss this paste into anything savory and it will taste delicious. It adds a summery, herbaceous flavor to many of my dishes, no matter what time of year.
