Pesto is such a versatile ingredient, dip and topping. Indulge your pesto love with these fun and creative ideas for using basil pesto, plus a list of recipes to try!
Recently I shared (at long last) how to make homemade basil pesto.
It's so crazy easy - just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes. And the fresh taste is unbeatable!
Still, I usually also have a jar of pesto on hand in the refrigerator or pantry. Cause my love for pesto has no bounds and I'm not always guaranteed to have enough fresh basil to make my own.
So you can definitely use homemade or store-bought pesto for all of these ideas and recipes. Whatever you have on hand.
(In fact, many of these ideas came after I bought a huge jar of pesto at Costco. I wanted to find as many ways to use it as I could so I didn't waste any!)
Basil pesto has such a great brightness and adds a huge punch of flavor to a variety of different foods.
It's one of those magical condiments that can instantly elevate your cooking and add to a dish with very little work.
Pesto lovers, let's dive right in!
Ways to Use Basil Pesto:
Serve as an appetizer with fresh crunchy veggie sticks or as a topping for warmed bread.
Toss it with warm cooked pasta to make an easy sauce. (Tip: Add a few splashes of the pasta cooking liquid to get everything to adhere and mix together well.)
Use it on sandwiches and wraps for a flavorful alternative spread to mayo.
Top off burgers with a drizzle of fresh pesto.
Add to salads and grain bowls as an easy mix-in sauce.
Drizzle over fresh mozzarella and tomatoes for a topping to a Caprese salad or bruschetta.
Toss it with some cooked chicken or shrimp for an easy flavor boost.
Use as the base of a pizza instead of marinara sauce.
Add pesto to gnocchi or tortellini along with veggies, beans and/or a protein.
Mix into scrambled eggs (add some goat cheese too).
Spread onto crostini or toast with some ricotta or goat cheese.
Smear pesto onto hot grilled or steamed corn on the cob.
Toss roasted potatoes or roasted veggies with some basil pesto.
Swirl some pesto into hummus for a bright kick.
Add pesto to your favorite creamy dressing, such as Caesar, for a new flavor.
Use for kabobs and grilled chicken or fish.
Combine pesto and softened butter for a creamy spread.
Mix with ricotta or cottage cheese, or Greek yogurt or sour cream, to make a creamy dip or spread.
Storage Tips
Homemade basil pesto will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. Keep it in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap that is pushed down and touching the surface of the pesto to form a tighter seal and to prevent air from reaching it.
An opened jar of pesto will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to maybe 3 weeks. (Check the label for specifics.) Keep it tightly sealed. It can help to add some olive oil to the top of the jar to minimize air exposure.
You can also freeze extra pesto. Freeze in small ice cube trays. Once frozen, remove the pesto cubes, transfer to a freezer safe bag (that's been labelled and dated) and freeze for up to 6 months.
Pesto Recipes
Here are a few of our favorite ways to use pesto as an ingredient or topping in main dishes, sides and snacks.
- Easy baked pesto chicken (just 3 ingredients!)
- Pesto stuffed pork chops
- Italian chicken skillet with pesto
- Creamy pesto pasta with spring veggies
- Pesto chicken salad
- Pesto Greek yogurt dip
- Baked pesto chicken sliders
- Spaghetti squash with pesto chicken
- Quinoa spinach salad with pesto
- Cold barley salad with chicken and creamy pesto
- Roasted veggie wrap with basil and goat cheese
I hope this gives you some new, delicious ways to enjoy pesto.
Happy cooking!
XO,
Kathryn
Barbara Smith says
Thank you so much for this! I love the taste of pesto, yet hesitate to open a jar for fear of it going bad before it's all used up.
You inspire me with your recipes and ideas,
Kathryn Doherty says
Yay! I'm glad this was helpful! One more trick/tip for you: If you press a small piece of plastic wrap to the top of the remaining pesto once the jar is opened, so that it's sealed in and air can't get to the pesto, it will last a lot longer. : )