Fact: Cooking is about a thousand times easier when you’re not starting an entire recipe from scratch every night. Instead, we like to keep some staples on hand that we can use as the basis of a quick meal. And our very favorite of these staples? Pesto. Whether you make a batch from scratch on Sundays or just grab a few jars from the store, keep some pesto at the ready for these 15 recipes.
15 Quick and Easy Meals You Can Make with Pesto
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Published May 9, 2019
Pesto Zoodles
Adding pesto to regular pasta is tasty, but it’s also a calorie and flavor bomb. Swap in zucchini for a guilt-free go-to.
Spinach Artichoke Pesto Pizza
Coterie member Maria Lichty took our favorite dip and transformed it into a pizza topping. And instead of tomato sauce, she uses a zesty spinach basil pesto (bonus—it’s nut-free).
Grilled Pesto Chicken Couscous Bowls
These healthy bowls are meal-prep magic. Do all the work on the weekend, and you’re set for lunches all week long.
Creamy Parmesan Pesto Chicken Skillet
We can never have too many one-pan chicken dinners (aka our weeknight workhorses). We love to serve this one over egg noodles or rice pilaf.
Cauliflower And Plantain Tacos With Lemony Pesto Dressing
Get ready for a total Taco Tuesday makeover. These guys are sweet, savory and 100 percent vegetarian.
Parmesan Pesto Tilapia
This super simple recipe has only five ingredients and comes together in about 15 minutes. Hello, new weeknight savior.
Crock-pot Pesto Chicken Salad
Use your slow-cooker to make totally hands-off pulled chicken, and then add in an easy pesto dressing. We love this chicken salad in lettuce wraps and sandwiches, but the possibilities are really endless.
Arugula Pesto And White Bean Panzanella
We always think of panzanella as a summer dish, but Coterie member Gaby Dalkin has opened our eyes to other seasonal possibilities. (The more bread-themed salads, the merrier.)
Chicken Pesto Focaccia Sandwiches
We don’t tend to think of chicken sandwiches as the world’s most exciting food. That is, until we tried these, topped with crumbled feta, sun-dried tomatoes and plenty of pesto.
Pesto Chicken Bruschetta
When you need a real dinner but all you want is finger food, this recipe is the best of both worlds. It swaps out the bread for healthy grilled chicken, making it completely acceptable as a main course.
Creamy Pesto Shells
A hidden ingredient (shh, it’s broccoli) gives this sauce some heft and a few extra vitamins.
Gnocchi With Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Sausage And Kale Pesto
Hearty, comforting and packed with protein and veggies. This is our idea of dinner heaven.
Pesto Quinoa Bowls With Roasted Veggies And Labneh
We tend to think of pesto as a pasta sauce, but it also pairs fantastically with grains like quinoa. Add some simply roasted vegetables and a dollop of labneh and dinner is done.
Pesto Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad is a great way to use up any veggies left in the fridge. It’s our last-minute potluck go-to.
Couscous Salad With Shrimp, Roasted Tomatoes And Pesto Dressing
Set your phones to portrait mode. This summery dish is as gorgeous as it is delicious.