Pescatarian Garlic Basil Herb Oil
There is something deeply satisfying about making your own infused oil from scratch, and this garlic basil herb oil delivers a flavor payoff that no store-bought bottle can match. Fragrant rosemary, thyme, and fresh basil are gently coaxed into extra-virgin olive oil over the lowest possible heat, pulling out every bit of their aromatic character without a hint of bitterness. The technique is all about patience — a lazy sizzle around the smashed garlic cloves, a slow steep for the basil — and the result is a luminous, green-tinged oil that smells absolutely incredible. It works beautifully as a finishing drizzle over grilled fish, stirred into pasta, spooned over roasted vegetables, or used as a dipping oil for crusty bread. Since every ingredient here is pure and plant-based, it fits naturally into a pescatarian kitchen without any substitutions or label-checking required. The recipe makes a clean, strained oil that keeps in the fridge for up to five days, so you can batch it ahead and reach for it all week long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest heat your burner allows and warm until the oil reaches a gentle, lazy sizzle around the garlic — small bubbles forming slowly at the edges of the cloves, about 8–10 minutes. The garlic should turn pale golden and fragrant but not brown; if it begins to color quickly, lift the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves, pressing them gently into the warm oil with a spoon. Let the basil steep in the residual heat for 5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the oil is bright green-tinged and fragrant.
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