Originating in northern Italy and first mentioned in a cookbook written in 1863, pesto is a sauce traditionally made from a blend of crushed garlic, fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The name comes from the Italian word pestare which means “to crush”, and refers to the pesto preparation method which involved crushing the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. Today, you can buy pesto in pre-made form at the grocery store, or you can make it pretty easily at home using a food processor (or mortar and pestle if you’re fancy).

Most of us have experienced pesto as a pasta sauce, but there are so many delicious ways to use it. You can also get creative with the ingredients if you like.

Twists on Classic Pesto

If you’re looking for a classic pesto recipe, this one from Yummy Healthy Easy does the trick. If you want to try something new, pesto could really mean any kind of sauce prepared in this way, and you can substitute different ingredients according to your taste. Here are some suggestions:

• Use arugula instead of basil
• Keep the basil but add extra greens like spinach, kale or chard
• Use walnuts or almonds instead of pine nuts
• Use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts
• Make it vegan-friendly by using miso paste or nutritional yeast instead of cheese

Delicious Ways to Use Pesto

Pesto is an incredibly flavorful sauce and you can use it to amp up many different dishes. Here are some ways you can incorporate pesto into your cooking that go beyond the classic pasta sauce:

• Spread it on sandwiches
• Stuff it inside cherry tomatoes for a fun appetizer
• Dilute it with vinegar and olive oil to make salad dressing
• Add a few dollops to your next homemade pizza
• Scramble some into your eggs
• Drizzle on top of soup
• Spread on top of a piece of fish or chicken before baking

I’m definitely adding pesto ingredients to my shopping list right now so I can make a big batch and try some of these delicious ideas this week!