Here Are The Ingredients That Make Up Italian Seasoning

Whether you make up a mix of Italian seasoning yourself or buy it from the store, the sweet, earthy, and peppery herb blend is a great shortcut for flavoring food. Perfect for zhuzhing up tomato or marinara sauces and marinades, salad dressings and soups, its hit of basil and kick of oregano is an easy way to recreate the flavors of your nonna's Italian kitchen. So, what are we actually adding to a dish when we add a dash of Italian seasoning?

First, a note on semantics. A seasoning is different from a spice, which comes from a specific part of a plant. Unlike spices or a spice blend, seasonings like herbes de Provence and za'atar are a combination of spices, herbs, and other flavoring ingredients.

Although amounts will vary across brands, Italian seasoning is almost always a combination of dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Some varieties, like McCormick's and Spice Islands', also include dried sage and savory. The latter herb might sound unfamiliar, but it belongs to the mint family and has a flavor reminiscent of pepper, sage, and thyme. Some other Italian seasoning blends might include fennel seeds or crushed red pepper flakes.

If you're making your own Italian seasoning mix at home to store for later use, start by combining an equal amount of each main ingredient in your food processor. From there, you can decide if you want more heat with pepper flakes, more basil, or more fennel. Or you can easily remix the classic by adding black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, or celery seeds. If you hate sage, rosemary, or thyme, simply leave it out.

As with many recipes developed long ago, the origins of Italian seasoning are dubious. Still, many attribute the herbaceous blend to ancient Mediterranean culinary styles, so it's no surprise that Italian seasoning goes best with Mediterranean and Mediterranean-inspired foods. Try adding a pinch of seasoning to an earthy, savory chicken ribollita soup to enhance the flavors of the beany broth. Or combine it with salt and pepper in your meatballs or meat marinades to give your neutral umami-rich meat dishes an Italian spin. Even simpler, use Italian seasoning to top off your garlic bread or grilled veggies. You can also add it to your olive oil for a little flavor and texture when dipping fresh bread as an antipasto.

If you have Italian seasoning on hand, you can also use it as a swap for some of its component parts. If you're out of dried oregano or basil, for instance, Italian seasoning is a solid substitute. To make dishes taste even more fresh, add freshly chopped basil or oregano along with your mix of dried herbs.