Homemade Italian Seasoning
Enjoy the authentic taste of Italian seasoning, now crafted at home! A perfect blend of classic herbs that’s ideal for enhancing pastas, sauces, and more.
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Table of Contents
- About Homemade Italian Seasoning
- What’s in Italian seasoning?
- Can you use fresh herbs instead?
- Can you use ground herbs instead?
- Can you make Italian dressing with this?
- What recipes can you make with Italian seasoning?
- How long can spices be kept?
- Notes & tips for this Italian seasoning recipe
- More useful spice recipes
- How to make Italian seasoning
- Recipe Details
About Homemade Italian Seasoning
Crafted with a blend of classic herbs, this homemade Italian seasoning recipe not only elevates everyday dishes but also brings a touch of authentic Italian flair to the table.
The right blend of Italian seasoning can make all the difference, whether it’s for pasta, pizza, or a comforting stew.
What’s in Italian seasoning?
In order to whip up your own batch of homemade Italian seasoning, you’ll need to collect the following ingredients:
- Dried oregano – A staple in Mediterranean cuisine (which includes Italian fare) dried oregano brings a pungent, earthy flavor with a slightly bitter undertone. It’s versatile and serves as a foundation, imparting a classic Italian taste to dishes.
- Dried basil – Basil offers a sweet aroma with notes of anise and clove. Its addition brings a hint of warmth and peppery sweetness that pairs beautifully with tomato-based dishes, enhancing their richness.
- Dried thyme – With its subtle minty undertone, thyme contributes depth to the blend. Its aromatic and slightly lemony flavor complements other herbs and adds complexity, especially in slow-cooked dishes.
- Dried marjoram – Milder than oregano but with a similar profile, marjoram lends a sweet, floral, and woody touch. It fills in the gaps, creating a well-rounded and harmonious blend.
- Dried rosemary – Known for its strong piney aroma, rosemary brings an invigorating freshness to the mix. Its woody and tea-like flavor adds sophistication and stands out especially in roasted dishes.
- Rubbed sage – Sage offers a pronounced earthy flavor with hints of eucalyptus and citrus. Its robust character adds layers to the blend, ensuring the seasoning leaves a lasting impression on the palate.
- Dried parsley – Though mild, parsley has a fresh, slightly peppery taste that brightens the blend. It ensures a balanced flavor profile, providing a counterpoint to the more potent herbs and rounding out the seasoning.
- Red pepper flakes and garlic powder – Both of these are optional ingredients but they can add a hint of heat and depth to the seasoning.
Can you use fresh herbs instead?
While this recipe exclusively uses dried herbs, you can substitute them with fresh herbs. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:
- Short shelf life – Since fresh herbs are perishable, you should plan on using Italian seasoning made with them within one week.
- Different storage – Additionally, because the fresh herb blend is perishable, it should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Weaker potency – As a general rule, dried herbs are three times as potent as fresh ones. If you’re following a recipe that calls for dried Italian seasoning and you’d like to use a fresh herb blend instead, you’ll need to multiply whatever quantity the recipe calls for by three. So for example, this pizza dip calls for 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning; this would need to be changed to 3 tablespoons of fresh Italian seasoning.
Can you use ground herbs instead?
Yes, you can substitute dried herbs for ground herbs, but like with fresh herbs, you’ll need to make some adjustments – and it’s not quite as clear cut as converting fresh herbs to dried.
Typically, ground herbs are often regarded as twice as potent as their dried counterparts due to the increased surface area. However, this conversion can vary depending on the specific herb and its processing. When substituting ground herbs for dried, it’s advisable to start with half the recommended amount for dried herbs and adjust to taste. Always remember, it’s easier to add more than to correct an overly strong flavor.
And like with fresh herbs, you’ll need to do a bit of math when substituting a ground herb blend in a recipe that calls for dried. Using the pizza dip as an example again, you would substitute 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning for 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground Italian seasoning.
Can you make Italian dressing with this?
Certainly! There are many different types and blends of Italian dressing you can make with this seasoning, but an easy one to get you started would be:
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar or honey, or to taste
- salt and black pepper, to taste
What recipes can you make with Italian seasoning?
So many dishes in Mediterranean cuisine use this spice blend (whether it says it outright or it has its own herb mix to create the same flavor), but a few of my absolute favorites include:
- Homemade Lasagna
- Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara Sauce
- Pizza Dip
- Chicken Parmesan
- Italian Green Beans
- Stuffed Peppers
- Spaghetti Pasta Salad or Italian Pasta Salad
How long can spices be kept?
It doesn’t take long to accumulate a cabinet full of spices, but like all foods, they do have a “best by” date. When determining how long to keep (or whether to use) a spice, these are the general rules of thumb:
- Whole spices (not ground) can stay fresh for four years.
- Ground spices stay fresh for two to three years.
- Dried herbs can be used for one to three years.
This particular Italian seasoning recipe uses dried herbs, so it should remain fresh for one to three years.
Notes & tips for this Italian seasoning recipe
- Marjoram can be omitted if you don’t have it on hand.
- Rosemary, sage, and parsley can also be omitted, but they bring such great flavor that I’d highly recommend including them if you can.
More useful spice recipes
How to make Italian seasoning
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a small bowl, add oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and parsley. If you’re using red pepper flakes and garlic powder, blend them in, too.
Step 2 – Mix it all up.
Step 3 – Use and enjoy!
Homemade Italian Seasoning
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, sage, and parsley. Also add red pepper flakes and garlic powder, if using. If desired, you can pulse the seasonings in a food processor so that dried herbs are finely ground, but it's not required.2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried thyme, 2 tablespoons dried marjoram, 2 tablespoons dried rosemary, 1 tablespoon rubbed sage, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Store Italian seasoning in a sealed container. Use as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
