Have you started planning your garden yet?  I have and my plans definitely include a container herb garden.  I had a garden by my back door last summer.  I planted thyme, basil, oregano, chives, rosemary, mint, parsley and cilantro. I mixed three to four plants in each planter. Then I enjoyed watching them grow. They were easy to cut for recipes and it is was very convenient having them close to my back door.  I was enjoying my garden so much last year that I included it in a post for Caprese Salad and my cat Mr. Big was even getting into the photo shoot .

This year I will be adding basil to my garden again.  It is such a wonderful herb and it adds so much flavor to this Easy Marinara with Basil recipe.  

And the other ingredients that this recipe includes are so healthy that you will have the energy to keep planning your garden.  So stop dreaming about your herb garden for a second and get out the ingredients to make this great pasta dish.

First start by cooking the linguine pasta according to the package directions.  Making sure to salt the water as directed by the package.

Then take two cloves of garlic, remove the skins and dice them.

 Now heat the garlic in a pan for a few minutes with 1/4 cup of olive oil.

Add one (28 ounce) can of whole peeled tomatoes and their juice to the pan crushing them with your hand as you add them.

 Add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3-4 sprigs of fresh basil chopped and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Now simmer the sauce over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes so that it can thicken.  When the sauce has thickened, serve over linguine and garnish it with extra basil and ricotta or mozzarella cheese.  Now you can enjoy your dish of pasta while you plan your garden.  Enjoy!