Hey, Basil Growers: Here’s Everything You Can Make with Pesto
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Ree Drummond once proclaimed: "Pesto is everything. I'm not exaggerating either—I truly believe it makes life worth living!" And if you feel the same, you've come to the right place. Here, you'll find creative ways to use pesto, including summer pastas and burger toppings. After all, summertime means basil, and basil means pesto! That's why you need a handy dandy list of recipes with pesto to keep on hand this season.
If you grow your own basil, you know that it can proliferate whether you mean for it to or not. And while you can sprinkle a little bit on pretty much anything to make basil recipes over the summer, 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 wintery months to add a pop of freshness to your dishes.
With that said, everything on this list can be made with store-bought pesto as well. It's one of those unspoken kitchen hacks that make life much so much easier and more flavorful as well. 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 for the day. Now that all your meals are covered, get ready to go green with these best pesto recipes.
Baked Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce
Ree gives you two hacks in this recipe if you need to get dinner on the table fast: use jarred pesto and packaged ravioli. The result is pure homemade deliciousness.
Get Ree's Baked Spinach Ravioli with Pesto Cream Sauce recipe.
Spring Pea Pesto Pasta Salad
Confession time! Ree admits, "I love pasta salads where you can barely see any of the pasta." Why not smother it in pesto, prosciutto, peas, arugula, and mozzarella for maximum flavor?
Get Ree's Spring Pea Pesto Pasta Salad recipe.
Pesto Pizza Baked Potatoes
Should these be served as a side dish or a main course? It doesn't matter because you're serving up something scrumptious that will surely please the whole family. A scoop of pesto puts them over the top.
Get Ree's Pesto Pizza Baked Potatoes recipe.
Pesto Chicken Salad Croissants
Quick brunch idea? Head to the store and pick up croissants, rotisserie chicken, and pesto. In 20 minutes, you'll have fancy flavorful finger food that will impress your guests! The arugula gives it an added peppery bite.
Get Ree's Pesto Chicken Salad Croissants recipe.
Greek Pesto Pasta Salad
Easy to whip up for your next potluck, this pasta salad gets its flavor from pesto of course, but also artichoke hearts, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kalamata olives. It's ready in only 30 minutes, too!
Get Ree's Greek Pesto Pasta Salad recipe.
Roasted Carrots with Spring Pesto
Okay, so technically the pesto in this recipe isn't made with basil. Try it with toasted almonds, fresh mint, and parsley! Or you could absolutely go with basil pesto if that's what you've got on hand.
Get Ree's Roasted Carrots with Spring Pesto 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.
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 every again.
Get Ree's Ham Sandwiches with Arugula and Pesto Mayo recipe.
Pesto Pizza with Arugula and Prosciutto
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 Pesto Pizza with Arugula and Prosciutto 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.
Spinach Basil Pesto Risotto
Look at all that creamy green goodness! Spinach not only adds color but lots of vitamins, too. It's a great way to hide veggies if you have picky kids. They'll just focus on the flavor.
Get the Spinach Basil Pesto Risotto recipe.
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