(and Spicy Italian Seasoning)
A versatile and easy way to add flavor to almost anything.
Italian Seasoning. This is by far the simplest, and yet most versatile, seasoning blend we make. It goes with all your favorite Italian dishes–spaghetti, pizza sauce, lasagna–and also with so many other foods. Kate even puts it in her chicken chili. It’s super easy to make, with just seven common herbs, all in equal amounts.
Kick your Italian Seasoning up a notch.
If you want to add a bit of heat and smoky flavor, though, you can take it a step further and do the spicy version. This uses the regular Italian seasoning as a base, and just adds a few more ingredients for that extra oomph.
Both Italian seasonings are used in several recipes on Sweetness & Spice, and we think you’ll find them extremely useful to always have some on hand. For the bakers reading this, maybe start with our whole-wheat Italian herb bread.
A bit more about Italian flavors.
Italian seasoning may or may not have originated in Italy – two schools of thought believe that it either started somewhere else along the Mediterranean or in the United States. Either way, though, it was an attempt to mimic the herbs that are used fresh in Italian cooking. I’m glad it exists because sometimes you can’t get hold of the fresh herbs that make up Italian seasoning preferences.
I usually say fresh herbs are the best way to go, especially in Italian food. It’s nice to have this on hand, though, for sudden Italian cravings, sauces, soups, slow-cooked food, and many other uses.
FYI, this recipe is also featured in our cookbook. (Shameless plug) We wrote our cookbook to answer the question, “What on Earth do I do with these seasoning blends?” We start each chapter with a recipe for a seasoning blend, then give you at least ten recipes to use it up. Clever, right?
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Italian Seasoning and Spicy Italian Seasoning
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
- Category: seasoning blend
- Method: cold prep
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Traditional Italian herbs mixed in flavorful harmony.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon dried marjoram
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, coarsely ground
1 Tablespoon dried sage
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
For Spicy Italian Seasoning, add to the above:
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Notes
Store-bought ground rosemary is too powdery, but dried rosemary is too pointy to be eaten raw, as this seasoning might be. If you pulse dried rosemary in a spice or coffee grinder for a few seconds until the pieces are about 1/4 of their original length, that’ll save your gums from getting stabbed by the tasty little javelin leaves.
Keywords: Italian, seasoning, rosemary, spicy, basil, marjoram, oregano, sage, thyme, parsley