Why it works: Basil and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,390 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Summer Herb Pesto
1 1/2 cupsIngredients
Directions
Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pine | 1 oz (28g) | 191 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Walnut | 1 walnut half (4g) | 26 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Basil + oreganotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,390 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Basil + pinetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together332 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
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Spinach + pinetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together181 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Garlic + spinachtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,435 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Basil + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,351 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the nuts
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, clove, basil, parsley, spinach, oregano, pine):
- Chickpeafits better
- Lentilsfits better
- Cashew nutfits better
- Nutsthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, clove, basil, parsley, spinach, oregano, pine. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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