21 Ways to Make Garden-Fresh Pesto (Plus Recipes for Using It) (2024)

Updated January 25, 2023

• Fresh Basil Pesto

  

  This is the most common way of making pesto. Romano cheese adds a robust flavor and adding a little spinach mellows out the basil a little. The recipe includes tips on freezing. It's fantastic in dishes like pesto pasta salad.

  Get Recipe

• Kale Pesto

  

  See Also

  Ricotta Gnocchi Recipe | The Mediterranean DishEasy Date Night Creamy Tuscan Ravioli Recipe - Little Spice JarRoasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta RecipeBaked Tofu Parmesan Recipe ~ Vegan

  If you have some extra kale hanging around, this is a fun and fresh way to use it up! The strong kale flavor is balanced out with some lemon zest and lemon juice for a truly versatile pesto.

  Get Recipe

• Carrot Top Pesto

  

  If you’re growing carrots in your garden, don’t throw away the carrot tops! You worked so hard to grow them, why not make pesto out of them?

  Get Recipe

• Mint Pesto

  

  Mint and parsley are mixed together for a zippy pesto that’s unforgettable. Pro tip: The best way to keep the bright green color that mint and parsley have to offer is to blanch and then shock them in an ice bath!

  Get Recipe

  Continue to 5 of 21 below.

• Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  

  This pesto doesn’t necessarily use anything from the garden (unless you’re making your own sun-dried tomatoes), but it definitely needed to be included with the other pesto recipes! It comes together quickly and offers a depth of flavor that can’t be beat.

  Get Recipe

• Arugula Pesto

  

  Have an abundance of arugula but don’t really want to make a salad? Make pesto by adding a few ingredients to the food processor and giving it a whirl.

  Get Recipe

• Cilantro Pesto

  

  Unlike other pesto recipes, cilantro pesto gets its complementary flavors from red onion and serrano chiles. It makes a marvelous addition to tacos or you could add some to cottage cheese and make it a chip dip!

  Get Recipe

• Walnut Parsley Pesto

  

  Making pesto is the best way to use up greens, and parsley is no exception. All you need are some walnuts, parsley, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and presto! You’ve got yourself some mighty tasty parsley pesto.

  Get Recipe

  Continue to 9 of 21 below.

• Scallion Pesto

  

  Add a burst of spring onion flavor to pesto by using scallions along with basil in this incarnation. Lemon juice adds to its spring freshness. It works anywhere traditional basil pesto works, on pasta, as a sandwich spread, or drizzled on eggs.

  Get Recipe

  See Also

  Mason Jar Italian Salad Dressing Recipe

• Rotini With Kale and Walnut Pesto

  

  There's kale pesto, there's walnut pesto, and there's kale walnut pesto. Served on pasta, it's bright and fresh and delicious. Of course, pasta is the perfect blank slate for any pesto.

  Get Recipe

• Whole Wheat Pasta With Kale Pesto

  

  The kale pesto used with this healthy pasta is slightly different from the kale pesto above. Blanched kale removes bitterness, and cashews instead of pine nuts add creaminess.

  Get Recipe

• Pesto White Bean Veggie Burgers

  

  Any pesto would work for this burger, but the one included in this recipe includes yogurt and it's nut-free, so it's perfect for those with nut allergies. The pesto is in the burger to help bind it, and it's a topping for this veggie burger.

  Get Recipe

  Continue to 13 of 21 below.

• Spring Vegetable Tortellini Soup With Pesto

  

  A spoonful of pesto becomes a flavor bomb in this soup that's full of pasta and vegetables like carrots, asparagus, and peas. Any type of pesto will work to add flavor to this soup, even the sun-dried tomato.

  Get Recipe

• Pesto Havarti Mac and Cheese

  

  Spinach and basil pesto joins mac and cheese made with Havarti. The cheese adds a silky, creamy touch to this comfort food classic. Bonus: the greens add a little nutrition.

  Get Recipe

• Zucchini Noodle Chicken Pesto Bowl

  

  Spiralized zucchini drenched in basil pesto and thrown into a bowl with chicken, tomatoes, and more basil. The whole healthy dish comes together in 30 minutes.

  Get Recipe

• Three-Cheese Pesto Lasagna

  

  Fresh herbs and dark, leafy greens turn winter's comfort food into a summer sensation. A basic basil pesto replaces tomato sauce in this lasagna that's full of mushrooms, spinach, kale, and lots of cheese.

  Get Recipe

  Continue to 17 of 21 below.

• Chicken Minestrone With Basil Pesto

  

  While the minestrone is simmering, throw together basic pesto, or another favorite pesto. Not only does it look pretty spooned over the soup, but it also adds a deep herbal and cheesy flavor to every bite.

  Get Recipe

• Pesto Stuffed Zucchini

  

  Here's a creative way to use up big summer zucchinis. Stuffed them with basil pesto, fresh croutons, mozzarella, pine nuts, and cherry tomatoes. It's a perfect summer garden meal.

  Get Recipe

• Beef Roulades With Walnut Parsley Pesto

  

  Make a special winter meal with by rolling thinly pounded beef with bacon and a pesto of parsley and walnuts. It's roasted and sliced into pinwheels. A great way to make pesto work in the colder months.

  Get Recipe

• Asparagus Pesto With Pasta

  

  Here's another way to make pesto, with asparagus and spinach. The pesto mingles with fresh pasta that's topped with pine nuts, Parmesan, and a light drizzle of olive oil. A quick vegetarian meal.

  Get Recipe

  Continue to 21 of 21 below.

• Vegetable Shakshuka with Pesto

  

  Any pesto you have around will work in this Israeli classic of eggs poached in a veggie-laced tomato sauce.

  Get Recipe

• Recipe Collections