Low Carb Kitchen: A Lesson in Basil

Genovese basil from my garden

July 26, 2026

I have a complicated relationship with many fresh ingredients. If asked whether I like one or the other of them, my answer is almost always, “It depends on the variety, how fresh it is, and how it’s prepared.” Nowhere is that more true than with basil.

On the one hand, a summer garden without basil feels incomplete. The scent alone can stop me in my tracks. Roll a leaf between your fingers and suddenly you’re transported, surrounded by tomatoes, olive oil and the promise of dinner.

On the other hand, to say I’m deeply dissatisfied with most of the basil sold in supermarkets is the understatement of the century.

The problem began with my Italian next-door neighbor.

When I was a teenager, she introduced me to pesto alla Genovese. Not the jarred version. Not the blended version. The real thing.

She grew Genovese basil in her backyard. The leaves were intensely aromatic, with hints of black pepper, anise and cloves. To make pesto, she used a pestle and mortar, and watching her work was almost hypnotic.

The basil was crushed rather than chopped, releasing its fragrance into olive oil, along with garlic, pine nuts, and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano that she bought at an old Italian deli that had opened in Oakland in 1897. (She always made a point of mentioning that date.) The finished pesto was creamy and green, with visible flecks of basil suspended throughout the sauce.

She always warned me it wouldn’t keep long. This was never a worry. It never survived the next dinner.

And it was unforgettable.

Years later, when fresh basil finally became widely available in grocery stores, I was excited. I rushed home with a bunch, eager to recreate what I remembered. Instead, I discovered leaves that smelled only faintly of basil and lacked the intensity I was expecting. They weren’t bad. They simply weren’t remarkable.

Forty years later, my opinion hasn’t changed much. That’s why I grow my own.

My Favorite Varieties

For everyday cooking, I rely heavily on Spicy Globe basil. It grows happily in pots outside my kitchen door and delivers exactly what its name promises: a concentrated basil flavor that’s peppery, pungent and slightly sweet. The tiny leaves scatter beautifully over salads, vegetables and grilled meats.

When pesto season arrives, however, Genovese basil is the undisputed champion. It’s a big plant, so it lives in my patch at the community garden.

The larger leaves of Genovese basil make quick work of harvesting. The flavor delivers the sweet-spicy character that defines classic pesto. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a farmers market, seek it out there. Before you buy, pick up a bunch and smell it. Good basil should practically announce itself. The fragrance should be fresh, sweet and… if you’re like me… intoxicating. The leaves should be vibrant green and free of bruises.

Once you get it home, treat basil like cut flowers. Trim the stems and place them in a glass of water on the counter. It will stay fresh for several days this way.

Just don’t refrigerate it. Basil dislikes cold temperatures. Even a short stay in the refrigerator can leave the leaves darkened and limp.

Cooking with Basil

When Italian cooks use basil, they are likely to divide it in two, with one portion going into the pot with whatever they’re cooking, and the other portion to be added after the cooking is finished. This offers the best of both worlds, with cooked basil adding a mellow background flavor, and raw basil adding its characteristic pungent brightness.

Pesto

Traditional pesto is the love child of the Ligurian port city of Genoa. Made with a mortar and pestle, fresh pesto will always be far superior to one made in a machine, and I have enormous respect for the method. The crushing action creates a texture that’s difficult to replicate mechanically.

I don’t recommend that you use a blender because it will be nearly impossible not to heat the mixture and overprocess it into a purée. That’s why I make mine in a food processor. By pulsing carefully, I can keep the pesto cool and preserve some of the texture that makes the hand-made version shine.