There is hardly anyone who hasn't prepared pasta dishes with pesto or even made pesto themselves. But what if we told you that this delicious sauce can be used for more than just pasta? Since there are a variety of different types of pesto, the sauce is also suitable for many other dishes and can therefore also be used to create other delicacies. If you still have some pesto in the freezer that you really want to use up or if you just want to try something new, you can choose one of the following original ideas for using pesto. If you are now curious and would like to find out what you can use pesto for, just read on and prepare a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner today!
Pestosorten
It can be argued that there are no rules when making pesto. While basil is a classic ingredient in basil pesto, for example, and is known as green pesto, there are also variants with eggplant or artichoke. You are welcome to make your own pesto and experiment with different vegetables and spices to suit your taste exactly. Peas, rocket, parsley, pumpkin seeds and coriander are also wonderful. Or how about broad beans or even cabbage? You can then use the sauce not only for pasta, but also for other pesto dishes. And if you don't have time for experiments, just rely on tested recipes that will help youMake your own pestocan. One thing is for sure, whether you choose someone else's pesto recipe or come up with your own, delicious dishes are guaranteed with them!
How do you prepare the popular paste?
Of course, the exact ingredients depend on the type of pesto you want to make and can vary accordingly. Nevertheless, there are a few things you should keep in mind when preparing it so that every recipe turns out well and you can use the pesto as you expect:
- Do not chop vegetables and spices too finely. Coarser pieces are a trademark of pesto and there is a good reason for this: if the ingredients are too fine, the sauce automatically becomes more liquid and then it cannot stick properly to pasta, bread or other things.
- Use a blender to prepare it, so make sure to only mix the ingredients at short intervals and not too often. Traditionally, pesto is prepared in a mortar with a pestle. Alternatively, you can simply cut the ingredients very small and then mix them together, but this also takes more time.
- Oil is the last ingredient you use in pesto, or what you add to it after all the other products have been mixed well together. The oil is also the ingredient that holds all the other ingredients together. Mix everything together evenly and stir the pesto well before each use, as the oil will separate from the rest over time.
Store properly
Purchased pesto typically lasts up to 2 weeks after opening. To be safe and also to seal in the freshness and flavors, after the first use you can pour a little extra oil into the jar forming a layer. Instead, you should use homemade pesto within 4 days. If this is not possible for you, pesto can also be frozen. But then you shouldn't add parmesan. You can add this to the thawed sauce at any time later. The freezer is also a great storage area if you are making larger quantities of sauce at once and want to store it properly. Pesto can be stored there for several months.
Using pesto – ideas for original delicacies
Now you're probably curious as to what you can use pesto for other than pasta. The possibilities are probably even more than you might think. Below we have put together a list of ideas and suggestions. Maybe these ideas will even inspire you to make other interesting and delicious creations.
Dips
For breadsticks, tortillas or other types of chips, for vegetables and fries, dips are a great sauce that you can prepare even faster and easier with the help of pesto. Simply add any soft or processed cheese and, if you like, Greek yogurt and you can make yourself comfortable in front of the TV and enjoy your snacks. Alternatively, you can also use ready-made dips and make them taste even more interesting. And this works with any type of dip!
Suit
Just as you use pesto for pasta, you can also use it to improve the flavor of other dishes such as fish, meat or chicken and even tofu if you are vegetarian. You can also put pesto on vegetables instead of butter and season them wonderfully this way. You'll be amazed at what a difference this seemingly simple sauce can make, and without much effort.
In mashed potatoes
There is hardly anyone who doesn't like mashed potatoes. Maybe you would like to try a more innovative version of the classic recipe? Then pesto is just right for you. If you add the paste to the usual mashed potato ingredients, the result will be simply breathtaking. A great idea, for example, is to serve sausages and tomatoes with the mashed potatoes. Instead of potatoes, you can also make a porridge from beans. Or improvise with other vegetables.
Soup
Make a soup and give it a touch of Italian flavor by stirring in a little pesto to finish. This is a great idea, especially for soups with a light citrus flavor, and creates a certain balance. Parmesan also goes well with it or add some croutons to the soup right before serving. Soups in which you can use pesto include potato soups and corn chowder.
stew
Would you have thought of using pesto as an ingredient in a braised dish? Probably not. The sauce can also add the finishing touch to a stew. Pesto is particularly welcome for stews with chicken (but not only!). Pesto can also be used in any spring stew and proves to be the perfect secret ingredient.
Dressing
As a dressing for salads, pesto is guaranteed to impress you as well. The Italian sauce goes particularly well with root vegetables, any type of pumpkin and mushrooms. The same applies to chicken and fish. And since pesto was originally intended for pasta, it only makes sense that it is also great for a pasta salad. So if you prepare a salad with these ingredients, you can also apply pesto there and create a pleasant aroma. The pesto can also be mixed with mayonnaise as a salad dressing
Marinade
A marinade of this type is probably the quickest possible. Although pesto goes best with chicken and fish, it can also be used to season other meats and give them the perfect flavor. Allow the marinade to take effect sufficiently (preferably overnight). You can also use it to marinate the vegetables mentioned above. So if you like grilling vegetables, definitely give this idea a try!
Sandwiches
Everyone loves sandwiches! To prevent them from becoming too dry, they are usually topped or spread with vegetables such as tomatoes or processed cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and other juicy ingredients. As you can imagine, we would also like to recommend pesto for sandwiches. Add a layer of pesto to your sandwich, replace mayonnaise with it, or combine the two to create a new sauce. In addition to the sauce, you can pamper your sense of taste with mozzarella or Italian ham. In principle, you can't go wrong. If you use pesto in sandwiches, you get a wonderful snack between meals. Don't forget the good old wraps, which are just as delicious with pesto.
Combination of pesto and breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs and pesto are a true dream pair. In this way, the already delicious breadcrumbs get a great aroma, which you can use to wonderfully refine fish, in particular. Simply add a little lemon juice and olives if you like, spread the mix over the fish and bake it in the oven. This idea becomes no less delicious if you use breadcrumbs with lemon and pesto on the chicken fillet. You can also try breaded mushrooms or even oven-baked goat cheese.
fillings
Prepare a delicious filling by combining pesto and cream cheese, for example. Then cut a slit in chicken fillet to create a kind of pocket, which you then fill with the filling. Toast from the sandwich toaster can also be filled in this way. No matter what you need a filling for, using pesto will make it something special.
Pizza toppings
The good old pizza... what would it be without the delicious tomato sauce, you might be thinking. But if you really think that this cannot be replaced with other sauces, you are wrong. Be open to new things and spread pesto on the pizza dough! And it doesn't matter whether you use green or red pesto. A delicious example of a green pesto pizza is to top it with goat cheese, fresh basil and eggplant. Grilled chicken and shrimp are also suitable and if you want something vegetarian, you can use artichokes and Kalamata olives. This type of pizza is ideal as a main course or as a side dish with a salad. You can also use pesto as a sauce if you want to bake galettes or onion tarts.
For breakfast with eggs
The omelette will be simply amazing if you season it with pesto. However, the sauce should be used sparingly so that its flavors do not dominate too much. You can add the pesto right at the beginning and stir it into the omelette or you can serve it as a side dish with the finished omelette. And while we're on the subject of eggs: fried eggs taste even better with a little pesto. This is also a great combination for sandwiches, to which you can also add bacon or ham if you like.
Use pesto on bread
On freshly baked bread, focaccia bread or onSourdough baked goodsPesto sauce is really good. The spicy sauce even tastes great on simple toast, where it can also be combined with a slice of tomato and cream cheese. Even herb butter can be quickly made with the Italian sauce. Simply stir it into the soft butter and spread the finished herb butter onto the bread. If you bake your own bread more often, it is also worth mixing pesto into bread dough. When you use pesto in this way, you get a unique bread in which the flavors of the spices can develop perfectly thanks to the heat.
With couscous
Anyone who likes to eat couscous knows that this grain product is a fairly bland product that requires a lot of seasoning to taste really good. Pesto is exactly the right idea! The aromas are absorbed by the grains and you can use them to prepare a delicious salad with any type of vegetables and cheese, but also with meat.
For risotto
No matter what type of risotto you prepare, pesto is welcome to enhance this dish. You can also use pesto in other rice dishes. For example, if you have cooked rice as a side dish but find it tastes a bit too boring with butter and salt, just experiment with the delicious sauce. You have a selection of types of pesto to try out.
Meatballs
You can get seasoned meatballs or meatballs particularly quickly by using pesto in the minced meat instead of first chopping up other spices and mixing them in. Instead, you already have the pesto sauce ready to hand. Mix the minced meat with pesto and maybe season with a little salt. Onions are a matter of taste in the meatballs anyway, but they undoubtedly make them even more aromatic. Every other housewife will be jealous of these meatballs!
Pasta mal anders
Pesto is usually simply added to the cooked pasta and consumed in the form of a pasta sauce. But that is by no means the only way to combine pasta and pesto. For example, servegrilled salmonwith a homemade sauce made from pesto, cream and sour cream. Or change up the classic lasagna and make it with cheese, pesto and sweet potato. Even a simple fruit like avocado can greatly transform and enhance a pesto sauce to be served with pasta.
