Basil Oil

We are a big bread-eating family around here. To accompany pasta dishes, soups, etc., I often make a loaf of foccacia bread or buy some crusty bread to break and dip in marinara sauce or olive oil. I recently saw an idea for infusing olive oil with basil to use as a dipping oil. Since I'm still bursting at the seams with my basil bounty, I thought I'd share.

Basil-infused Olive Oil

1 cup olive oil

3 stems of basil (no need to use the leaves even, just stems)

In a saucepan, warm the olive oil over low heat. Add the stems and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Serving suggestion: In a shallow plate, drizzle enough olive oil to cover the surface. Top with fresh cracked pepper and Italian seasoning. Use it to dip crusty bread. Yum!