Basil oil

This is a staple at Café Paradiso, always to hand to add richness and flavour. For pasta it is a sauce in itself; for puy lentils, broad beans with roasted garlic, new potatoes, sprouting broccoli or anything simply cooked, basil oil can be added towards the end of cooking or tossed with the vegetables afterwards. The oil is used from the start in stewing peppers for peperonata, and for wilting various greens. It goes into salad dressings, mayonnaise and aioli, is drizzled over risotto and