24 Pesto Recipes That Aren’t Pasta

March 09, 2020

Move over pasta, these pesto-packed recipes highlight the sauce’s versatility. The bright, herby condiment works well with chicken, seafood and vegetables. Recipes like Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto and Charred Shrimp & Pesto Buddha Bowls show how pesto elevates any dish.

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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

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This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell. Source: EatingWell Soups Special Issue April 2016

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Italian Pesto Chicken Salad

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Prepared pesto is the secret ingredient in this lightened-up, healthy creamy chicken salad recipe. For the prettiest dressing, go for a bright-green colored pesto. Serve the salad open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2016

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Roasted Carrot Tart with Carrot-Green Pesto

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In this vegetarian main-dish recipe, you use the entire carrot from root to greens, so there's less waste. Roasted carrots are layered on top of a creamy ricotta base with pesto made using the green tops from carrots. Untrimmed carrots can be tough to find, but when you do, cut off the tops and store them separately or they'll draw moisture from the carrots. If you don't have carrot greens, use 1 cup of parsley instead. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2018

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Charred Shrimp & Pesto Buddha Bowls

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These shrimp and pesto Buddha bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019

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Poached Cod & Green Beans with Pesto

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Using just one skillet, this easy fish recipe cooks cod right on top of fresh green beans and uses the same pan to make a flavorful sauce. The result is perfectly flaky fish, tender-crisp vegetables, a savory pan sauce and very little cleanup. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2014

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Campfire Caprese Grilled Cheese

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A twist on a classic grilled cheese, this caprese sandwich adds pesto and tomato for a quick and simple campsite meal.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce

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Serve these quick chicken cutlets with creamy pesto sauce over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2020

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Pesto-Pork Pinwheels with Grilled Peaches

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Slicing the pesto-and-breadcrumb-stuffed pork before skewering helps these pinwheels cook quickly and brown evenly. Serve this with grilled or roasted broccolini and farro for a healthy dinner. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2015

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2015

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Pesto & Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Chops

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Pesto gives great flavor to the oozy mozzarella stuffing in this breaded pork chops recipe. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2012

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Pesto, Mozzarella & Egg Breakfast Sandwich

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This healthy vegetarian breakfast egg-sandwich recipe is a delicious way to use up pesto and fresh mozzarella cheese and it's ready in just 5 minutes. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2013

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Chicken with Fresh Basil Pesto

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Typical pesto ingredients--basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil--make a tasty and fresh topper for a cooked chicken breast. But in this recipe, no heavy equipment is needed to make the pesto! Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Pink Salmon Cakes with Cilantro Pesto

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Canned wild salmon is the base for these fast, delicious salmon cakes. Serve them over mixed greens or with sauteed bell peppers and a piece of toasty focaccia. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2012

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Roasted Spring Vegetables with Arugula Pesto

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These roasted vegetables tossed with arugula pesto are an easy side for a dinner party. Try serving them with a roasted leg of lamb. If you can find beautiful, freshly harvested small carrots, they'll look and taste the best in this dish.

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Tomato Salad with Tarragon Pesto & Pumpernickel Croutons

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With this easy tomato salad, more is more--so if you want, go wild with an outrageous selection of tomatoes. Look for big gnarly tomatoes, plum-shaped varieties, smooth or peach-fuzzed skins, zebra stripes, not to mention the miniatures at the summer farmers' market. All the visual variation means you'll get a range of flavors as well. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2018

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Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Tomatoes & Feta

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Dazzle your guests, and keep the kitchen cool, by baking pizza on the backyard grill. For convenience, this recipe uses prepared pizza dough, found in most supermarkets, and pesto from a jar. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Summer 2002

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Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

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Cook chicken tenders quickly on the grill and top with pesto made with cilantro and sesame seeds for a zesty, speedy dinner. Serve with: Quinoa and grilled asparagus. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2008

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Rustic Pesto Tart

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Talk about easy! Almost everything in this pesto-cranberry tart is store-bought. Although the tart can be enjoyed shortly after it comes out of the oven, it's just as good served at room temperature. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2007

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Cream Cheese-&-Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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Cream cheese and pesto make a delectable filling for lean chicken breasts. Use this technique to experiment with other fillings as well, such as ham and cheese or goat cheese and chopped olives. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Winter 2004

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

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Here we toss nutty roasted sprouts with a quick sun-dried tomato pesto. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2010

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Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes, Beans & Almond Pesto

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Looking at a tangle of spaghetti squash tricks your brain into thinking you're about to eat a serving of eggy noodles, when in fact, you get a nice calorie and carb savings in this healthy recipe. Giving tomatoes a stint in a hot oven makes them candy-sweet. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2017

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Hasselback Eggplant Parmesan

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The coolest way to make classic eggplant parm--and easier too! Use the hasselback technique to make partial cuts into the whole eggplant every 1/4 inch or so to fill up with melty cheese, flavorful sauce and crunchy breadcrumbs. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2017

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Vegetarian Enchiladas

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The secret to this creamy enchilada sauce is pureed toasted corn, enriched with roasted garlic. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 1997

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Green Risotto

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Serve this pretty, pesto-flavored risotto alongside roasted chicken or pork roast or serve with a big salad for a light dinner. We add a splash of wine along with each addition of broth to give the dish a more pronounced wine flavor. If you'd prefer the wine to be more subtle, add the entire cup at the end of Step 3 and cook, stirring, until the liquid is gone, then begin adding the broth. You can substitute more broth in place of the wine. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2011

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