Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
This Caprese-inspired pasta toss is the ultimate summer main for a busy weeknight, outdoor picnic, or lunch on the go. Use yellow and red tomatoes for a stunning presentation and wonderful flavor variety.
Rigatoni with Kale Pesto
Whole-wheat pasta would be a tasty option here, complementing the earthy flavor of kale.
Chicken Pesto Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
It’s seems like portobello mushrooms were just made for stuffing. Not only is this loaded fork-and-knife-entrée easy and cheesy; it's customizable, too. Make it your own with any produce or herbs you already have in your fridge, you can even switch up the protein if you’re feeling like steak or serving a vegetarian guest. If you don’t mind the extra step, homemade pesto takes this dish from great to amazing.
Chickpea Ravioli with Basil Pesto and Hazelnuts
This vegetarian pasta doesn't skimp on flavor or protein. Make extra pesto and freeze to use on other dishes such as grilled shrimp or Caprese salad.
Spaghetti with Pistachio-Mint Pesto and Spinach
Pistachios lend deep, earthy flavors to this pasta dish that is ideal for potlucks and feeding large crowds.
Tortellini with Snap Peas and Pesto
Taste the snap and crunch of springtime in this easy weeknight pasta dish.
Open-Faced Chicken Sandwiches with Artichoke Pesto
Be sure to look for artichoke hearts that are canned in brine, not oil.
Tomato and Prosciutto Sandwiches with Pea Pesto
Toast the leftover torn bread from the baguette for breadcrumbs (which you can freeze), or add to soup for a slightly thicker soup.
Chicken, Tortellini, and Spinach Soup with Pesto
Diced tomato and a dollop of garlicky pesto add freshness and color to this quick chicken-pasta soup. Searing the chicken thighs first creates browned bits that add savory richness to the broth.
Golden Chicken with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto and Coconut Rice
Tart lime and tangy yogurt provide a necessary fresh, bright kick to balance robust earthy notes from spices like curry.
Mustard Green Pesto and Egg Open-Faced Sandwiches
This pesto works with any hearty greens; try turnip greens, kale, or chard. Any extra pesto will keep refrigerated for 4 days and frozen for up to a month.
Pesto Caesar Salad
This is an excellent non-traditional spin on the classic favorite. The creamy dressing is infused with both the basil-garlic punch of pesto and the lemon-anchovy pungency of Caesar dressing.
Zucchini Noodles Tossed in a Cilantro-Avocado Pesto
Enjoy zucchini raw and tossed in a creamy cilantro-avocado pesto sauce. This basic recipe—a lighter play on pasta salad—is versatile, welcoming any veggies you like.
Pesto Pastries
Unlike classic pesto, there's no oil in this filling. Once everything is minced in the food processor, though, it develops a paste-like consistency. Thaw the pastry in the fridge overnight, or leave out at room temperature for an hour or two.
Pepita Pesto-Stuffed Mushrooms
These pesto-filled, two-bite cremini mushrooms are perfect as an appetizer or as a side to grilled chicken or steak. The spicy Mexican-inspired pesto combines parsley, cilantro, pepitas, crushed red pepper and Cojita cheese for an innovative take on the traditional Italian recipe.
Chicken, Red Grape, and Pesto Pizza
While grapes may be an unconventional pizza topping, they work wonders in this simple recipe. As a sweet contrast to nutty pesto and rich Italian cheeses, grapes are the perfect accompaniment to these ingredients. They’ll pick up caramelized flavor after time in the oven, taking on a toasty sweetness.
Steak with Lemon-Herb Pesto and Spinach Salad
Be sure to put some of the pesto aside for a later weeknight dinner. It's herbaceous flavor pairs well with beef, chicken, and fish.
Sausage and Kale Pesto Pizza with Blistered Tomato-Arugula Salad
Cooking pizza in a skillet is a revelation: guaranteed dough success for even the most timid pie makers—just pat the dough out to size, and the pan shapes it into a perfect circle.
Sautéed Acadian Redfish with Pistachio and Orange Pesto
To grill instead, prepare an indirect, medium-heat fire. Stack the fillets in pairs, flesh side to flesh side, making 4 stacks. Place stacks on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 12 minutes or until desired degree of doneness—no need to flip.
Grilled Trout with Roasted Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Celery Leaf Pesto
Say hello to your new favorite seafood dinner! This sweet and nutty autumnal recipe will make everyone at the table swoon.
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach Pesto
This is the easy way to use supermarket wonton wrappers for a weeknight ravioli treat. You can use this technique to make this deliciously sweet butternut squash ravioli topped with a fresh, herby pesto.
Green Vegetable Soup with Lemon-Basil Pesto
Covering the pot when bringing the liquid to a simmer gets this soup ready even faster.
Chicken Drumsticks with Cilantro Pesto
A homemade pesto gives grilled chicken drumticks party-time flavor, while a serrano chile adds a subtle kick to this zesty sauce.
Linguine with Spinach-Herb Pesto
Here is a lovely twist on beloved pesto for spring. Baby spinach takes the place of most of the basil to give the sauce an earthy flavor. The thick, emerald sauce beautifully coats the flat noodles and serves up big flavor in every forkful.
Shrimp Farfalle with Arugula Pesto
Arugula instills this pesto with a peppery bite that pairs beautifully with supple, slightly sweet shrimp.
Broccoli and Pecorino Pesto Pasta
This nut-free pesto trades traditional pine nuts and Parmesan for broccoli and nutty-tasting pecorino Romano. Anchovy fillets add meatiness, but you can skip them if you like.
Pesto Shrimp Kebabs
Fire up the grill and cue the mouth-watering goodness of pesto shrimp paired with grilled bell peppers.
Halibut with Quick Lemon Pesto
Grated lemon rind and juice lend tartness to the pesto that enhances the natural flavors of this simple grilled fish.
Sautéed Halibut with Lemon-Pesto Butter
Make extra lemon-herb butter. It's delicious tossed with steamed green beans, hot cooked rice, or pasta. Garnish with fresh basil.
Pesto Shrimp Pasta
This delectable pasta dish features swirls of tender angel hair, plump shrimp, and grape tomatoes tossed with pesto. Garnish with sprigs of basil just before serving for extra color and a burst of freshness.
Pita Pizzas with Kale Pesto, Tomatoes, and Bacon
Make-ahead prep tip: Double the pesto portion of the recipe, and freeze half for a future pita pizza dinner.
Fall Vegetable Stew with Mint Pesto
The fresh, herby pesto adds a pop of bright flavor to earthy root vegetables, setting this stew apart from the ordinary. Best not to leave it out.
Grilled Vegetable Caprese with Pesto
The original Caprese salad consists of mozzarella, tomato, and basil, but our take adds grilled vegetables and homemade pesto for a hearty twist.
Gnocchi with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Pesto
Gnocchi—small Italian potato dumplings—are a hearty alternative to pasta. While making gnocchi from scratch could take more than an hour, premade vacuum-packed dumplings cook in a few minutes.
Broiled Red Snapper with Sicilian Tomato Pesto
Plum tomatoes work best in this recipe; juicier tomatoes would thin the pesto. No need to seed or peel them. You can make the pesto ahead and keep it chilled. Stir in the tomatoes just before serving.
Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto and Sausage
A sprinkling of crumbled spicy sausage makes a salty-savory finishing touch to herb-drenched pasta. Some pestos tend to go drab, but this one stays a brilliant emerald green.
Grilled Vegetable Pitas with Goat Cheese and Pesto Mayo
For these filling pitas, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand—eggplant, summer squash, bok choy, or sweet onion. Here we use portobellos, red bell peppers, and Vidalia onions.
White Beans with Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto
Add a green salad and crusty bread to this simple rustic dish for a satisfying supper. Simmer the beans on the stovetop if they're still not tender after cooking under pressure for 12 minutes.
Wasabi Salmon Burgers with Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
Tofu binds the ingredients together in this salmon dish. Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) yields a crisp crust on these juicy burgers.
Swordfish Skewers with Cilantro-Mint Pesto
Although imported swordfish is endangered, the population for North American species is healthy. Check with your fish seller to make sure the fish you purchase was caught in the United States or Canada.
Cranberry Beans with Parsley Pesto
Fresh-from-the-pod cranberry beans are creamy and delicious, especially when adorned with a mixture of herbs, nuts, and cheese. Serve alongside grilled lamb or pork, or enjoy a larger serving as a vegetarian entrée.
Shrimp and Cilantro Pesto Tamales
Worthy of a special occasion, the timing in this recipe is everything. The shrimp cook as the tamales steam, so they're tender and perfectly done.
Linguine with Arugula Pesto
Add a peppery bite to your pesto with fresh arugula. Top with freshly grated pecorino Romano and serve with seasonal veggies.
Fusilli with Pistachio Pesto
Toss cooked fusilli pasta with a homemade pistachio pesto for a refreshing twist on traditional pine nut-based pesto dishes. Add cooked chicken for a heartier dish.
Steak Baguettes with Pesto Mayo
Piled high with steak and veggies, the real treat on this sandwich is the sauce, a pesto mayonnaise. Use sirloin for a more tender bite than you get with cuts like flank steak.
Salmon with Red Pepper Pesto
If you don't like the bite of raw garlic, drop the clove in boiling water for 1 minute to blanch, then proceed with the pesto.
Cheese Ravioli with Pesto
Fresh herbs are premium ingredients that can easily break a budget. Stretch the pesto by adding a little fresh baby spinach.
Salmon Skewers with Lemon-Parsley Pesto
Prepare this dish just before grilling so the pesto maintains its color.
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese
The Mediterranean flavors in this easy pasta dish come from sun-dried tomatoes, basil, almonds, garlic and Parmesan cheese, and the oil in the sun-dried tomatoes gives the almond-spiced pesto a rich consistency.
Chicken Chili with Pesto
This classic version of white chili with chicken is overflowing with veggies. Add a generous dollop of pesto before serving for a fresh twist.
Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes
This pesto is also delicious over seared chicken with a piece of fresh mozzarella melted over the top. Heavenly! If you’d like to use gluten-free pasta, purchase Bionaturae or Ancient Harvest pasta.
Quinoa and Pistachio Salad with Moroccan Pesto
Quinoa [KEEN-wah] is a quick-cooking whole grain, supplying protein, iron, and vitamin E. Pair this side dish with simple grilled chicken or fish. For a vegetarian entrée option, use organic vegetable broth and add one (15 1/2-ounce) can of rinsed, drained chickpeas to ramp up the protein.
Rigatoni with Green Olive-Almond Pesto and Asiago Cheese
The procedure may be the same as for regular basil pesto, but the intensely flavored olive paste in this dish is closer to a tapenade. The briny, oily olives produce a smooth "pesto," which turns into a simple sauce with the addition of a little pasta cooking liquid.
Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms
Since this lasagna is prepared in the slow cooker, it’s a great weeknight dinner option that can be assembled ahead of time, cooked throughout the day, and then served in the evening. No-boil lasagna noodles are perfect for this recipe, as they absorb all the juices that accumulate in the crockpot. Use 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh, if you prefer. Also, any mushroom will work.
Cavatappi Pasta Salad with Walnut-Sage Pesto
Pasta salad isn't just for summer. Butternut squash and a walnut-sage pesto give this dish a hit of fall flavor. The pesto sauce darkens upon standing, so try to serve the salad shortly after tossing the ingredients.
Chicken Kebabs with Creamy Pesto
Creamy pesto is the perfect cooling counterpoint to these flavorful chicken kebabs.
Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle
This dish comes together quickly if one person grills the chicken while another cooks the pasta and sauce. If you serve wine, a chardonnay complements the creamy sauce perfectly. Topping with fresh basil brings brightness to the final dish.
Pesto Pizza with Butternut Squash
Topped with a medley of squash, pesto, and cheese, this pie delivers distinctive flavor without much effort. “I especially liked the contrasting sweetness, saltiness, and zippiness,” says jngermann. “I found it easy to make this in the afternoon, then reheat at a low temp for an evening supper club.”
