15 Best Recipes to Try When You Want to Use Up Pesto
They’re bursting with fresh flavor.
No one loves pesto more than Ree Drummond. She once proclaimed: "When I say I love pesto, I really mean it. I love pestos of all shapes, sizes, and flavors." If you feel even a fraction of that love for the sauce and want recipes that use pesto, then you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find creative ways to use pesto, including everything from summer pastas to party dips.
Now, there is more than one way to make pesto. For the purposes of this list only, that means the classic mix of basil, pine nuts, parmesan, and olive oil. If you grow your own basil, you know that it can proliferate whether you mean for it to or not. The best way to use it up and highlight its flavor is to make pesto from scratch. Then you can use it in everything and freeze some for the winter months to add a pop of freshness to your dishes.
That said, you can make everything on this list with store-bought pesto as well. It's one of those unspoken kitchen hacks that makes life so much easier and more flavorful. Running late for the potluck? Add a scoop into your pasta salads. Need something to liven up that sandwich for lunch? Spread it on thick. You can even throw it on your eggs in the morning for a quick fix before heading out. Now that all your meals are covered, get ready to go green with these best pesto recipes.
Pesto Salmon
If you want to make a dinner that feels fresh, flavorful, and just a teeny bit fancy, make pesto salmon! It’s actually quite simple to make because salmon bakes quickly in the oven, turning perfectly flaky and juicy in just about 15 minutes.
Get Ree’s Pesto Salmon recipe.
Pesto Chicken with Chopped Caprese Salad
Tender chicken cutlets are coated in a crispy parmesan-panko crust, pan-fried, then topped with melty fresh mozzarella and a generous layer of pesto. Serve with a fresh Caprese salad for the ultimate taste of summer.
Pull-Apart Pesto Turkey Sliders
No one will ever accuse turkey of being bland ever again! Here, pesto, melty mozzarella, and a garlicky herb butter jazz it up for the tastiest little sliders you ever did try.
Get Ree’s Pull-Apart Pesto Turkey Sliders recipe.
Pesto Feta Dip
If you use jarred pesto, this easy dip takes just two other ingredients to whip up. Best of all, it only takes five minutes to whizz in the food processor. It’s a party dip in a flash!
Get Ree’s Pesto Feta Dip recipe.
Baked Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce
Two shortcuts—store-bought ravioli and jarred pesto—make this an easy weeknight win. The creamy sauce makes it feel like you worked a lot harder than you did!
Get Ree's Baked Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce recipe.
Pesto Pizza Baked Potatoes
All the flavors of pesto pizza, but tucked into a fluffy baked potato. Add a scoop of pesto and plenty of melty cheese and call it dinner.
Get Ree's Pesto Pizza Baked Potatoes recipe.
Greek Pesto Pasta Salad
This pasta salad gets its flavor from a double hit: the pesto you expect plus Mediterranean favorites like feta, artichokes, cucumbers, and olives. It's colorful, full of texture, and comes together in about half an hour.
Get Ree's Greek Pesto Pasta Salad recipe.
Pesto Chicken Salad Croissants
It's hard to beat chicken salad for an easy lunch, but stirring in pesto takes it to a whole new level. Tucked into flaky croissants with a handful of fresh arugula, this sandwich works for casual weekends or a brunch spread.
Get Ree's Pesto Chicken Salad Croissants recipe.
Rigatoni with Pesto Cream Sauce
The secret behind this creamy pasta dish isn't the pesto, it's actually goat cheese! The combo is a tangy match made in heaven. Bonus: You can serve this hot for dinner and cold as a pasta salad.
Get Ree's Rigatoni with Pesto Cream Sauce recipe.
Grilled Pesto Chicken
Juicy chicken breasts meet a generous coating of herby pesto in this easy weeknight recipe. Serve it with pasta, over rice, or alongside roasted veggies for a fresh and flavorful dinner.
Get Ree's Grilled Pesto Chicken recipe.
Ham Sandwiches with Arugula and Pesto Mayo
It's official: Homemade pesto mayo will be your new favorite condiment. Paired with pickled onions and slices of honey ham, you'll never have a boring lunch ever again.
Get Ree's Ham Sandwiches with Arugula and Pesto Mayo recipe.
Sheet Pan Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Ricotta, and Arugula
Nope, you don't need mozzarella for a good pizza. Try dollops of pesto with layers of fontina, ricotta, mushrooms, arugula, and prosciutto instead. Pizza night will never be the same again!
Get Ree's Sheet Pan Pesto Pizza with Prosciutto, Ricotta, and Arugula recipe.
Pesto Caprese Panini
Flavorful sammie comin' right up! If you don't have a panini press at home, you can use a grill pan and press down with another pan to get the same crusty outside and gooey cheese pull.
Get Ree's Pesto Caprese Panini recipe.
Shrimp Pesto Pasta
So much flavor, so little time―you'll be shocked how quickly this meal comes together. Asparagus, shrimp, pesto, and pasta get mixed together with an extra sprinkle of parmesan at the end for good measure.
Get Ree's Shrimp Pesto Pasta recipe.
One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
As much as you might love chicken, you have to admit that sometimes it's a little boring. Well, tomatoes, pesto, and a generous helping of parmesan grated on top will fix that.
Get the One-Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe.
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