15 Uses for Pesto

So, you've got your pesto made and all frozen. Now, what do you do with it? Here are 15 ways to make that Pesto sing. And stay tuned for one more fun and fabulous Pesto idea later this week. You'll LOVE it!

1. For pasta, toss a few tablespoons of pesto with hot pasta and a bit of the cooking water until well coated. Also try adding roasted asparagus and cooked chicken to the dish for a heartier meal.

2. Upbeat Soup. Stir a teaspoon of pesto into a bowl of piping hot soup just before serving as a colorful and tasty garnish.

3. Refresh Fish. Allow a bit of pesto to melt over the top of broiled fish or steamed veggies.

4. To make a terrific appetizer, lightly toast slices of French bread. Toss some diced tomatoes and artichoke hearts into your pesto, spread on a thin layer of pesto and pass under a broiler until it is hot and bubbly.

5. Mix some into mayo for an awesome sandwich spread. Great for waking up a turkey sandwich or adding another dimension to an Italian cold cut sandwich.

6. Top it off. You might also spread a layer of pesto over your pork chops or steaks just before you finish broiling them.

7. Better Bread. Or make your favorite bread recipe. Roll it out like pizza dough, spread on pesto and roll it up as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Bake as usual.

8. Or create a fancy-shmancy pizza by replacing the regular tomato sauce with pesto.


9. Add vinegar, olive oil and pepper, and you'll have a wonderful vinaigrette dressing for your salads.

10. Marinade. Rub beneath skin of a whole chicken or chicken breast and bake as usual.

11. Add it to your eggs before cooking your next omelet.

12. Mix a little in with your chicken salad.

13. Healthy Alternative. Brush it on roasted or boiled corn on the cob in lieu of butter.

14. Better Burgers. Mix with ground beef (or ground turkey) and make hamburgers on the grill. Outstanding!

15. Pesto Potato Salad. Boil red potatoes. Mix potato slices and chopped sauteed onion. Add 2 or 3 chopped tomatoes, red onions, then mix olive oil, some vinegar, salt, pepper and pesto to form a nice dressing and pour over potato salad. Should marinate for an hour or so.