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Move over garlic bread for basil bread! I have a new way to jazz up a loaf of french bread to serve with your favorite Italian dish. The secret to this delicious bread is prepared pesto. I prefer to use the pesto found in the refrigerated part of the grocery store but the bottled stuff found with the spaghetti sauce will work just as well.
I have already made this several times and the family loves it. The pesto adds so much flavor. Not only do you get the garlic flavor like regular garlic bread, but you get the added layer of basil flavor. You can always forget the cheese too, but why? It just brings it all up another notch.

Here is what you need to make the
Basil Bread
- BUTTER
- PREPARED PESTO
- FRENCH BREAD
- PARMESAN CHEESE

Basil Bread
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 3 Tbsp prepared pesto
- 1 loaf french bread sliced in half horizontally
- 1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter and pesto until well blended.
- Spread the butter of the halves of french bread.
- Place the halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove bread from oven. Separate halves and place on a baking sheet.
- Sprinkle each half with 3/4 cup shredded parmesan.
- Turn oven to broil and broil bread until cheese is bubbly and melted. Serves 8.
Recipe adapted from Recipe Sweet.
2 comments
This bread looks delicious!
YUM! This basil bread looks great. I am making spaghetti next week – adding this bread to the menu.