We love pesto. Like, really, truly love it. It’s endlessly versatile and can be used in so many dishes. Here are a few of our favorite homemade pestos (you can check out all our easy pesto recipes for more inspiration):
5. Braided pesto bread: This easy to make pesto bread is one of the most popular recipes on Well Seasoned, and for good reason! It’s cheesy and has a great crust, but still has that soft, tender crumb when you cut into it. Use this bread to make one hell of a grilled cheese sandwich or simply schmear with extra pesto and enjoy by the slice — that’s my fav!
4. Creamy kale gnocchi: Simply replace the creamy kale sauce with our best pesto recipe — or make a kale pesto, yum!! — then toss with potato gnocchi in a skillet until heated through. When you heat pesto on a stove top, all those aromatics (garlic! nuts! cheese!) come to life. It is pure magic.
3. Burrata pizza: Try using pesto as the base to any homemade pizza, then add your favorite toppings. We love creamy burrata cheese and arugula, but crumbled sausage, broccoli rabe, and roasted red peppers are seriously delicious with pesto!!
2. Breakfast polenta with pesto: If you haven’t yet discovered the beauty of mixing creamy yellow corn grits (polenta) with pesto and a runny egg, oh my god — you are missing out! It’s total savory breakfast perfection, and we insist you add this to your weekend brunch routine asap.
1. Chicken pesto pasta: Our chicken pesto pasta is 100% the recipe we have gifted to friends and family more than any other. It’s a spring and summer time staple, tastes even better the second day (seriously, pasta is always better on day 2!), and takes advantage of everyone’s favorite store-bought ingredient: the rotisserie chicken. Easy, but so damn flavorful! You’ll make this one again and again (we certainly do).
Other Ways To Use Leftover Pesto
Other ways to use up leftover pesto if, you know, you don’t end up just eating it straight from the bowl with a spoon (guilty!! 💁🏻♀️):
- Use pesto as a spread on sandwiches instead of (or alongside) mayonnaise.
- Serve it over grilled proteins! Our favorites include a variety of seafood: salmon, shrimp, scallops, and swordfish
- Mixed into scrambled eggs with tomato confit — takes minutes to make, but is the most flavorful breakfast you can imagine.
- Spooned over roasted root vegetables!
- Mix a tablespoon or so into your next bowl of soup and watch the flavors come to life!
- Spread onto any and all crostini before adding other toppings.
- Pair it with tomatoes and mozzarella: use as a dressing for your favorite caprese salad, or dollop on top of our mozzarella caprese gazapacho!
Helpful Tips For Freezing Pesto
- Freeze extra pesto in ice cube trays, then add to sauces or pastas in single portions as needed!
- Alternatively, you can freeze pesto in a ¼ sheet pan, then break into smaller pieces and store in an airtight bag.
- Arugula pesto will keep for up to 1 week in a refrigerator or up to 3 months in a freezer.
If you make any of these easy pesto recipes, please let us know by leaving a review below or on the specific blog post!
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