Basil vs. Holy Basil – Pesto Recipe

by | Jun 18, 2024 | Condiment Recipes

Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD

Photographed by: Breanne Brazeale

What is the difference between basil and Holy Basil? Both are herbs from the Lamiaceae family. Common or italian basil, scientific name Ocimum basilicum, is a culinary herb frequently used in Italian cooking. It is also a tender annual plant and is very easy to grow in the southeast because it loves warm weather. In fact, it is extremely frost-tender and thrives in hot, humid southern summers. 

Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is sweeter, often found in medicinal applications, and used to make a delicious tea called Tulsi tea. It is an aromatic perennial shrub, is native to India, and grows widely through Southeast Asia, although it can be cultivated here as well.

There are different varieties of both types of basil, for example purple basil. While both plants are in the same family, in the US, people are most familiar with common basil (Ocimum basilicum) and often use it in pesto, spaghetti or other dishes. On my farm, we often dry it. We have a lot of basil at the end of the summer and also love to make pesto with it. We freeze extra pesto so that we can enjoy it all winter. Pesto is a wonderful topping for miracle noodles which are both a low carb and a delicious way to enjoy pesto. 

Holy basil gets its name from its medicinal, religious and cultural uses in India. It is considered a sacred plant there and is frequently planted around shrines. You can find more information about Ocimum tenuiflorum, or holy basil, in the drink section as well as in the herbal medicine section of our page.

Below, please find a recipe for classic Basil Pesto.

Pesto:

Tim, the chef in our house, does not really measure. But a basic recipe that we follow approximately is:

A few sprigs of fresh basil – do not wash

1/4 c of nuts – pine nuts are expensive and harder to get, we usually use walnuts

1/2 c of Parmesan cheese– we usually buy a block but you can use the shredded cheese

2 cloves of fresh garlic – not the smallest ones

Salt and extra virgin olive oil– Tim does not measure, but use enough oil to wet the mixture, and salt to taste.

Mix basil, nuts, garlic in a mini food processor. The add in cheese and salt. Finally, mix in olive oil. We leave out the cheese when we freeze our mixture and add the cheese after thawing it out. We use small cups with great non-leak lids from the clinic that we freeze our mixture in, but any airtight, freezer-safe container, will work.

If you’d like to try low-carb miracle noodles to top with pesto, you can find them here:

https://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Noodle-Shirataki-Calories-Friendly/dp/B00BP36RTY/ref=sxts_rp_s2_0?crid=67IDWX4RX9IJ&cv_ct_cx=miracle+noodles+angel+hair&keywords=miracle+noodles+angel+hair&pd_rd_i=B00BP36RTY&pd_rd_r=ed3ab7f1-8afb-4688-be22-c4a17617a12e&pd_rd_w=KRJol&pd_rd_wg=s8HOl&pf_rd_p=dc8286ba-5f1e-4679-adde-8b7fe66c128e&pf_rd_r=PBWZ4W2K7GQCNY60YHM3&psc=1&qid=1648850900&sprefix=Miracle+noodle%2Caps%2C1110&sr=1-1-5e1b2986-06e6-4004-a85e-73bfa3ee44fe

Condiment Recipes

Meat Sauces and Condiments

Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD I often had a hard time eating meat when I was a kid. My mom had to give us applesauce when she made pork chops so we could swallow them because she over-cooked them and the meat was so dry! I remember being a kid sitting at the...

Condiment Recipes

Hummus Dip

Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD Our favorite veggie dip has always been hummus. It is not low carb because it is made with garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas). However, it is still a delicious healthy dip you can enjoy if you don’t have diabetes. I don’t even...

Condiment Recipes

Homemade Pimento Cheese Recipe

Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD Pimento cheese is delicious, especially so when it is homemade! I started eating pimento cheese at Manna Grocery in Tuscaloosa and it became one of my favorite lunches! You can put this spread in celery or use it to fill lettuce,...

Condiment Recipes

Chickweed Pesto

Written and edited by: Breanne Brazeale Recently, I was weeding my fall-planted garlic bed, and it was full of chickweed. Chickweed is really easy to identify (by the row of small hairs on the stem growing in alternating directions, white star shaped blossoms etc.)...

Condiment Recipes

Keto Mayo

Written by: Dr. Frannie Koe, MD Condiments can include but not be limited to mayo, salad dressings, BBQ sauce (although I had a really hard time making my keto sauce taste good!), veggie dips, meat dips such as sour cream, yogurt dips, and crab dips that my partner...