The Best Things to Make with Pesto

Veggie-Pesto Lasagna Soup

A cheesy lasagna casserole is tough to resist. But it’s also tough to make a reality if you don’t want to spend all afternoon in the kitchen. With tomato, garlic, spinach, basil (in the pesto!), and a dollop of ricotta on top, this quick-fix soup gives a nod to that classic comfort food without all the layering and bake time. Plus, this is the thing to make with pesto if you have broken lasagna noodles lying around. (We ask you to break them before adding them to the pot anyway.)

Pan-Seared Salmon with Tomato Pesto

When we say “pesto,” chances are high that you think of the classic Genovese kind that’s made with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheese, and olive oil. But the term “pesto” is past tense for the Italian verb “pestare,” which means “to pound” or “to crush,” so you can feel free to color outside the lines with your pesto components. For the topping for this 30-minute salmon dish, the zippy pesto features sun-dried and fresh tomatoes, olives, onion, basil, and crushed red pepper. A spoonful really perks up each plate.

Spaghetti and Zucchini Noodles with Basil-Walnut Pesto

One of our favorite tricks to sneak in more servings of veggies: stretching regular noodles with zucchini noodles. A two-to-one ratio of wheat to zoodles acts as a blank flavor canvas for the garlicky basil pesto that shines in this summery dinner recipe. This is a fairly traditional riff on basil pesto, except instead of pine nuts, we call for buttery walnuts. 

Test Kitchen Tip: We designed this thing to make with pesto to be a meat-free meal, but if you’d like to amp up the satisfaction factor, top each serving with grilled shrimp or chicken.

Pesto Chicken and Radicchio Skewers

This thing to make with pesto is another regular on our summer dinner menu. In addition to being cooked on our favorite warm weather cooking tool, a grill, these kabobs only ask for seven ingredients. Yes, that includes everything you need to whip up the luscious Parmesan cream sauce we suggest serving as a side car for dipping. So where does the pesto come in, you might be asking? It stars in the easy chicken marinade. Besides lemon juice, jarred or DIY pesto is all you need to infuse so much flavor into each ounce.

Avocado and Tomatillo Sandwiches with Pesto

Some vegetarian sandwiches can leave us scrounging for snacks about an hour later. But we’ve cracked the code for assembling a meatless mid-day meal with staying power. First, fiber (here, whole grain bread) and fat (avocado and mozzarella cheese) are essential. Then, it’s helpful to layer on unexpected flavor to ensure that each bite of the healthy lunch doesn’t feel like it’s missing a thing. Pickled red onions, a bounty of fresh vegetables, and an herbaceous homemade pesto team up to make this sandwich shine.

Copycat Pesto Cavatappi

You’re just six ingredients away from one of our favorite restaurant copycat recipes for pasta. This is inspired by one of Noodles & Company’s most popular menu items, and with a splash of white wine, a cup of pesto, and a generous handful of shredded Parmesan cheese, home cooks rave that it packs “lots of flavor.” Still, we love to look at this as the foundation, and often toss in other components to make this our own. Roasted mushrooms, rotisserie chicken, and drained and rinsed white beans are among our Test Kitchen’s recent greatest hits.

Pesto-Prosciutto Flatbread

You’ve probably tried pizza with white sauce, red sauce, and maybe even BBQ sauce (where are our fellow BBQ chicken pie fans at?). But have you tried sun-dried tomato pesto yet? If not, allow us to walk you through it in this tested and perfected flatbread recipe. The sweet-tart topping acts as a light and lovely base for savory prosciutto and slightly nutty provolone cheese. As the flatbread cooks, take 60 seconds to channel your inner Jennifer Garner and toss together the couldn’t-be-easier arugula salad to toss on top.

Cheesy Pesto-Meatball Manicotti

It’s impossible to spot the thing that’s made with pesto here, but we can promise that you’ll taste its bright, basil-y presence in this baked pasta recipe. The pesto is part of the hearty filling, which also includes ground beef or turkey, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, onion, sweet, pepper, and an egg to bring everything together. This is a winner any time of year, however, we find ourselves really craving this in the cooler months when fresh herbs are more difficult to come by. A few spoonfuls of pesto can practically transport us back to summer, while the meat- and cheese-stuffed pasta delivers all the coziness we crave.

Vegetable-Pesto Risotto Casserole

Intimidated by the concept of risotto after watching one too many Top Chef contestants get tripped up by the dish? We have great news: You need not stand over the stove, stirring and slowly adding broth until it reaches that spot-on silky consistency. Since this bakes in the oven after a quick sauté shift on the stove, we often bill this as a “gateway” risotto recipe. Arborio rice, an array of summer veggies, broth, and white wine dance together in the oven for 20 minutes in a covered dish. Just before serving, stir in ¾ cup pesto and a shredded Parmesan cheese, and dinner is done.

Chicken and Pasta with Spinach-Basil Pesto

In this specific rendition, we toss the richly garlicky spinach-basil pesto with pasta, mushrooms, and tomatoes, and serve all of the above alongside grilled chicken. You need not feel married to that specific pairing, though. We adore the easy spinach-basil pesto so much that we like to blitz up a big batch to use as a pizza topping, marinade, salad dressing, protein garnish, and toast topping.

Espresso-Rubbed Steak with Green Chile Pesto

If you’re not so fond of the lightly floral nature of basil, then this flank steak entrée might just become your new favorite thing to make with pesto. There’s not a leaf of basil in sight! Instead, fresh cilantro and Anaheim or poblano chile peppers shine in the Tex-Mex twist on pesto. This verdant steak topping makes for a natural pairing for the savory meat and the zesty, chili powder- and espresso-spiked spice rub.

Pizza Bread with Arugula Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes

Whether you enjoy it as an appetizer, a side dish for pasta or soup, or as a next-level sandwich-starter, this is one of the ultimate things to make with pesto when you have a lot to use up. Start with store-bought or homemade pizza dough, then opt for purchased or our punchy arugula-walnut pesto. (Psst…this makes about 1 ¼ cup, if you’re trading in jarred pesto.) Then top with slices of roasted Roma tomatoes and bake until golden brown. We have a tough time stopping at just one slice!

Pesto Pasta with Charred Radicchio

Go your own way with this ultra-customizable vegetarian pasta recipe. The any-herb pesto is more of a formula than a recipe. Select your toasted nut or seed, your favorite finely-grated hard cheese, and any one (or a mix of) tender herbs or greens, then process those with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and an ice cube (to shock the herbs and ward off browning). Toss this foolproof sauce with pasta and roasted radicchio and you’ve got a restaurant-quality meal in just 25 minutes.

Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

True, the set-and-forget appliance is more of a menu MVP in winter, but this slow cooker chicken recipe is a year-round favorite any time we’re hosting a casual crowd. A big loaf of ciabatta, slow-cooked chicken and veggies, and our favorite element—a generous layer of pesto-mayo—turn into a feast for 8 that asks for relatively little hands-on time. 

Test Kitchen Tip: Make a double or triple batch of the pesto-mayo spread, then use the extra on breakfast sandwiches and lunch deli sandwiches later in the week.