28 Pesto Recipes That Add Flavor Effortlessly

deleciousfood | July 18, 2024 | Breakfast | No Comments

When you think of pesto, chances are you think of the classic basil version, made with little more than garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. And that alone opens up a world of possibilities. Pesto can be mixed into bread, tossed into pasta, added to pizza, or used as a dip, among other delicious uses. But this collection of pesto recipes is here to illustrate just how versatile and customizable this beloved sauce is.

With the same basic proportions, pesto can be made with any number of herbs like oregano, parsley, or mint, as well as greens. Keep the cheese or leave out; swap out the pine nuts for another nut, or try adding something else for crunch, like roasted chickpeas or sunflower seeds. Start your day with a pesto frittata, end it with a berry granita topped with vanilla and honey pesto, and check out all the other tasty ways to enjoy pesto for meals in between.

Pesto Genovese (Classic Basil Pesto)

Victor Protasio / Food styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Accessories styling by Christina Daley

Classic pesto originates from Genoa, the capital of Liguria in Italy. It’s a staple of Ligurian cuisine. Here, we crush basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a mortar and pestle to make a creamy basil pesto. Use Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or a combination of the two cheeses.

Pan-fried salmon with pistachio pesto

Greg Dupree / Food styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Accessories styling by Thom Driver

This verdant pesto packs a surprising variety of flavors: nutty pistachios, fresh mint, spicy ginger and chili peppers, bright lime zest, and salty pecorino Romano cheese. It’s made simply in one bowl, no food processor or blender required.

Orecchiette with roasted chickpea pesto

Victor Protasio / Food styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Accessories styling by Christina Daley

In this nut-free basil pesto from 2020 F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams, roasted chickpeas replace pine nuts, bringing a satisfying nutty flavor and a touch of creaminess to the sauce. Fresh serrano chile adds a slight hint of heat.

Pork loin stuffed with pesto and prosciutto

Photography by Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop styling by Audrey Davis

This pork loin is stuffed with an herb pesto made with tarragon, chives, basil, parsley, green onions and lemon zest, which flavors the loin from the inside.

Salmon and Rocket Frittata with Pesto

Emily Kordovitch

Chef Eric Adjepong gives his frittata a punch of flavor with a spinach-basil pesto, which he stirs directly into the freshly cracked eggs. He incorporates the salmon two ways, topping the eggs with fresh cooked salmon before baking, and then topping the frittata with thinly sliced smoked salmon just before serving.

Pesto and Cheese Stuffed Brioche Rolls with Tomato and Bacon Jam

Brioche rolls stuffed with pesto and cheese with tomato and bacon jam.

Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Accessories styling by Thom Driver

These savory cousins to cinnamon rolls feature buttery brioche rolls filled with nutty pesto and salty Asiago cheese, topped with a dollop of tomato-bacon jam. Use your favorite homemade or store-bought pesto here—you’ll need about a cup.

Royal Trumpet Escalope with Mixed Herb Pesto

Jennifer Causey / Food styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Accessories styling by Kathleen Varner

A pesto with aromatic herbs and bright flavors accompanies the crunchy and juicy mushrooms that have been transformed into escalopes. They are breaded twice to provide an exceptionally crispy crust.

Carrot Top Pesto

Matt Taylor-Gross

What’s the point of buying beautiful, premium carrots with their long, lacy leaves if you’re just going to chop them up and throw them in the trash? This hand-chopped pesto is a delicious way to reduce food waste. Serve it as a dip, spooned over cereal or eggs, or over grilled or roasted meat, vegetables, or fish.

Pea shoot mafaldine – Meyer lemon pesto

Photography by Victor Protasio / Food styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Accessories styling by Claire Spollen

Fresh pea shoots, parsley and dill make a vibrant pesto that’s balanced by salty ricotta salata cheese and nutty toasted sunflower seeds. The bright sauce clings beautifully to ruffled mafaldine pasta in this 30-minute recipe.

Stone Fruit Salad with Kale and Peanut Pesto

Photography by Jessica Pettway / Food styling by Micah Morton / Accessories styling by Paola Andrea

In this tasty summer fruit salad, roasted peanuts, collard greens and Parmesan make a hearty pesto that’s the perfect partner for honey-topped plum and nectarine wedges.

Kale and Basil Pesto

Erin Kunkel

Toasted walnuts and lacinato kale enhance traditional basil pesto for a rich, versatile sauce that’s equally delicious over pasta or with toasted baguette slices for a simple, elegant appetizer.

Trapani-style pesto sauce

Caitlin Bensel

Food critic Colu Henry’s Sicilian-inspired pesto is every bit as noble and cringeworthy as traditional basil pesto. A pound of bite-sized tomatoes serves as the base of this herby sauce; blanched almonds replace the pine nuts.

Ramp pesto

Photography by Huge Galdones / Food styling by Christina Zerkis

Try this pesto once and you won’t let another ramp season go by without making a batch. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook with ramps, showcasing their distinctive oniony, garlicky flavor.

Linguine with French Green Beans and Parsley Pesto

Photography by Tara Donne / Food styling by Chris Lanier / Prop styling by Raina Kattelson

In this classic recipe, chef Johanne Killen uses the pasta cooking water to thicken her fresh parsley-basil pesto into a sauce that clings and flavors each strand of linguine instead of pooling in the bowl. Thinly sliced green beans are tossed into the pasta, providing a refreshing crunch.

Vegan Pesto Babka

Photography by Greg DuPree / Food styling by Torie Cox / Accessories styling by Christine Keely

This all-vegan savory babka from pastry chef Angela Garbacz relies on almond milk and vegetable oil for richness, while the braided pesto leans on fresh herbs, peppery arugula, and plenty of garlic for flavor.

Strawberry Granita with Sweet Pesto

Victor Protasio

Yes, you absolutely can (and should!) serve pesto for dessert. Here, chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson pairs a subtly tart berry granita with a sweet honey-vanilla pesto for a refreshing summer treat.

Handkerchief pasta stuffed with ricotta, pesto and marinara sauce

Why choose between pesto and marinara sauce when you can have both? Known in Italian as mandilli, this delicious dish consists of pasta sheets coated in pesto, stuffed with ricotta, and topped with tomato sauce. A little mascarpone is added to the pesto for a creamy texture.

Linguine with zucchini pesto

If you’ve never tried zucchini pesto, it’s time to add this dish to your summer recipe rotation. To make the sauce, simply blend zucchini with mint, parsley, almonds, garlic, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor, drizzle with your favorite olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Giant Lima Beans with Stewed Tomatoes and Oregano Pesto

Made primarily from pantry staples, chef Laurence Jossel’s tomato and bean stew is enhanced with a bright herby pesto, tangy feta and a crispy breadcrumb topping.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp with Yuzu Kosho Pesto

Chef Ricardo Zarate’s pesto, named a 2011 F&W Best New Chef, features yuzu kosho, a spicy and aromatic Japanese condiment made with tangy chili peppers and ultra-citrusy yuzu zest. Combined with ginger, garlic, lemongrass, cilantro and olive oil, yuzu kosho pesto is a flavor bomb that will have you rethinking your definition of a classic sauce.

Israeli Couscous and Tomato Salad with Rocket Pesto

The trick to this bright, peppery arugula pesto is to blanch the arugula and squeeze it dry, so that when you mix it with the pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and cheese, the resulting pesto isn’t too wet.

Tajarin with roasted kale pesto

Chef Kevin Fink’s simple and clever roasted kale pesto is perfect with homemade tajarin, but it’s also great on store-bought pasta. Toasted pecans and anchovy fillets are added to round out the flavors in an unexpected way.

Pistachio-oregano pesto

Made with toasted pistachios and fresh oregano, this pesto from chef and seafood expert Dave Pasternack is perfect with roasted, grilled or steamed fish.

Spaghetti with sun-dried tomato and almond pesto

This nutty, savory, and texture-tingling Mediterranean pasta dish from chef Marcie Turney is quick, simple to make, and likely to become a favorite.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Hemp Seed Pesto

Tender, yogurt-glazed roast lamb becomes even more special when served with this familiar yet unique pesto, which gets its flavor and texture from hemp seeds rather than cheese and nuts.

Grilled Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pizza

Pesto is just as at home on pizza as it is on pasta. Here, it pairs perfectly with a topping of roasted tomatoes with aged Gouda and Parmesan, spooned over the pizzas after they come out of the oven.

Chicken Panini with Spinach and Pesto

For this fun pairing of a chicken salad sandwich and a crispy pressed panino, chef Jonathan Waxman mixes pesto with mayonnaise and tosses it with chicken until the pieces are evenly coated.

Walnut Pesto and Goat Cheese Dip

For this delicious, easy-to-make cheese dip, toasted walnuts are blended in a food processor and combined with goat cheese, shallots, and watercress. Diced avocado adds an extra layer of creamy richness on top.