22 Recipes That Prove That Everything Is Better With Pesto

We’ve Caprese-d everything from pasta salad to focaccia to stuffed peppers, but these Caprese turkey burgers are something special. Crowned with melty mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, and pesto mayo, this fresh twist on America’s perennial favorite will be a smash hit at every backyard BBQ and cookout around.

Get the Caprese Turkey Burgers recipe.

Why have just mozzarella when you can have burrata? Why have just burrata when you can have pesto-stuffed burrata? This recipe takes everyone’s favorite cheese to the next level by injecting it with delicious pesto and serving it with juicy roasted tomatoes (specifically cherry tomatoes that have been tossed with olive oil, garlic, and herbs, then slow-roasted to perfection).

Get the Pesto-Stuffed Burrata Bombs recipe.

What isn’t pesto good in? It’s a sauce that turns any dish into kitchen gold, especially this totally comforting and delicious gnocchi and chicken bake. For the perfect pesto touch, stir a dollop into the tomato mixture to coat everything, then dollop the top with more right out of the oven for a fresh finish.

Get the Creamy Pesto Baked Gnocchi & Chicken Skillet recipe.

If summer could be captured in one flavor, we think it’d be in the form of this delicious pesto corn flatbread. With fresh basil, pesto, grilled corn, heirloom tomatoes, and creamy burrata, this flatbread is sure to hit every note on your tastebuds. Plus, this recipe uses store-bought flatbread and pesto, so it can easily be thrown together in 30 minutes.

Get the Pesto Corn Flatbread recipe.

Imagine not having to unhinge your jaw like a snake to enjoy your favorite Italian deli hero. This chopped sandwich is here to turn that dream into a reality. Turns out, running a knife through your sandwich ingredients before piling them into a roll makes the whole ordeal of crushing a big hoagie a lot easier to manage. Not to mention—completely even dressing coverage. Either way, it's a win-win sandwich recipe you're going to love.

Get the Chopped Sandwich recipe.

This recipe combines so many things we love—Caprese, pesto, chicken, and foil packets—for a SUPER-easy and bright chicken dinner in just about 30 minutes that is bursting with summer flavors.

Get the Caprese Chicken Foil Packs recipe.

Looking for an easy date night dinner to impress? Look no further than this cheesy pesto chicken. Ready in under an hour, this chicken breast recipe gets a flavorful upgrade with homemade pesto and melty cheese. This dish is extremely versatile with what’s in season and your desired effort level, making it a staple weeknight dinner (or fancy occasion specialty) you can come back to again and again.

Get the Pesto Chicken recipe.

Looking for a new pesto to try? First off, put the store-bought jar down. Bursting with fresh basil flavor, it's truly worth it to make homemade pesto from scratch. Not only is it too easy to create (5 ingredients and 15 minutes!), it's incredibly versatile in variations and uses. Once you’ve mastered our classic recipe and ratios, you can experiment to your heart's desire to complete all your favorite pasta recipes, appetizers, and weeknight dinners.

Get the Basic Pesto recipe.

If you’re looking for a soup that tastes just as good the day after, then this one-pot pesto rice and bean soup will be your new meal-prep staple. The pesto adds a flavorful boost to a classic soup combo (beans + rice) that really makes it something special. This is the soup that makes us love leftovers: it’s hearty, comforting, and so versatile based on your tastes.

Get the Pesto Rice & Bean Soup recipe.

When it comes to easy weeknight dinners, it’s hard to beat the combo of chicken and pasta. Add pesto, sweet cherry tomatoes, and a splash of white wine vinegar for brightness, and you’ve got the perfect simple dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Get the Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe.

While we have plenty of recipes we can't get enough of, these skewers—featuring shrimp, pesto, and lemon—just might be one of our favorites. Ready in under 30 minutes, these skewers are the perfect last-minute dinner when you just can't decide what to make.

Get the Pesto Shrimp Skewers recipe.

There are lots of ways to add spice to your meals, but when we’re looking for something really special, we turn to Sichuan peppercorns. Paired with a few other unexpected ingredients, these peppercorns add new intrigue to the old standby of pesto and pasta.

Get the Sichuan Pesto Noodles recipe.

We know better than to turn our noses up at trying out a TikTok food trend. Pesto eggs are next on the list, and we kind of love how perfect they are in their simplicity. Why didn’t we ever think to swap out our cooking oil of choice for pesto before?

Get the Pesto Egg-In-A-Hole recipe.

Here’s an easy and festive holiday appetizer that looks way more impressive and complicated than it actually is. Using homemade pizza dough and pesto is great, but if you go the store-bought route, this star bread takes very little effort. A few twists, and you have a green speckled star to dazzle as the center of your holiday spread (or really a spread for any time of the year).

Get the Pesto Pizza Stuffed Star Bread recipe.

Since we'll be flavoring the instant ramen noodles with your choice of pesto, it truly doesn't matter what flavor of ramen you purchase (we won't be using the seasoning packet). You can also use any pesto on hand, so long as you like it: Classic basil, roasted red pepper, or sun-dried tomato will all work nicely here. If you're a semi-homemade type of cook, store-bought pesto will do just great too!

Get the Pesto Ramen recipe.

If you've got the classic green basil pesto down, why not venture into slightly new territory with a fruitier, red, tomato pesto? Using sun-dried tomatoes here—preferably packed in olive oil for the richest flavor and softest, jammy texture—means that you won't have to worry too much about seasonality and whether your fresh tomatoes are sweet enough. Just dice them up for an easier time in your food processor and throw it in with some of the oil it came packed in, toasted pine nuts, garlic, basil, and cheese and you've got yourself a versatile little condiment.

Get the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto recipe.

With store-bought pesto, this recipe requires zero effort. (But if you want to make homemade pesto, it honestly doesn't even add much time and can be made ahead.) The vibrant green sauce keeps the salmon tender, while the cherry tomatoes add a summery brightness. Easy enough to make on a weeknight, but good enough to serve to dinner guests, this is a keeper, for sure.

Get the Slow-Roasted Pesto Salmon recipe.

While we love our classic pasta salad recipe, this pesto version is the epitome of a fresh summer side. Featuring a homemade basil-and-pine nut pesto, a generous amount of Parmesan, and juicy grape tomatoes, this will be the dish everyone will be reaching for at all your summer BBQs and picnics.

Get the Pesto Pasta Salad recipe.

While we love a classic pesto, made with basil leaves, Parmesan, and pine nuts, pesto is infinitely adaptable. You can swap in whichever kinds of herbs, cheese, and nuts your heart desires. Here, we're using a combination of cilantro and basil (it's SO fresh!) with cotija cheese and almonds. The result is a punchier, brighter tasting pesto that tastes as delicious on pasta as it does in a quesadilla or on a burger. We promise.

Get the Cilantro-Basil Pesto recipe.

This by-product of June Xie's $25 low-carb budget eats challenge is simple, easy, and you can basically switch in any nuts and any hearty leafy greens and herbs in place of the walnuts, kale, and parsley—follow the proportions and try out the ratio with a variety of substitutions for different flavors and textures!

Get the Pesto Zoodles recipe.