How to use pesto

Have you had your introduction to pesto? Pesto is luscious, it’s herby, cheesy and nutty – basically, it’s all round delicious. And there are so many ways to make pesto exactly how you like it. So how else can you use pesto, other than in pesto pasta? There are endlessly creative ways to use pesto in a meal, and we’ve rounded up a bunch of our favourite ways to use pesto for you to try.

Best ways to use pesto

Try adding pesto to the following meals for extra flavour.

Sandwiches and toasties
Risotto
Pies
Sausage rolls
Scrambled eggs
Salads
Dips
Stuffing
Meats and vegetables

Spreads for sandwiches and toasties

A little pesto spread onto your bread will instantly elevate any sandwich. It’s addictive. Soon you’ll be putting it in all your wraps, jaffles, toasties and paninis.

Risotto
Looking for ideas to switch up your risotto? Stir through a little (or a lot) of pesto to brighten up a piping hot bowl of risotto. Add in the pesto after your risotto is cooked, or the heat will make the delicate greens in your pesto turn brown and dull their flavour.

Pies and sausage rolls
Jazz up these classic Aussie eats by adding in some pesto. It's a great way to make it a little different, and it will still taste great with tomato sauce. We love this Family Sausage Roll that adds pesto and stretchy mozzarella to turn this pastry into a real treat.

Scrambled eggs and omelette
The delicate flavour of scrambled eggs goes really well with some herby, cheesy pesto. A great way to make your eggs more interesting is to beat the pesto right into the eggs before cooking or drizzle it on top as a luxurious topping.

Salads
Your salad doesn't have to be boring, mix pesto with a little bit of extra olive oil to make it easy to drizzle all over your salad. Both cold and warm salads go wonderfully with the flavour of pesto. Add an extra shaving of parmesan on top to finish it off.

Dips
Pesto alone can be used as a dip, but it can also be swirled into hummus, cream cheese, tzatziki and eggplant dips to really amp up the flavour.

Shake up your stuffing recipe
If you’re making stuffing or dressing to go with a roast chicken, incorporate some pesto into the mix to really boost the flavour. If you’re cooking chicken breasts, create a slit in the fillet using a small, sharp knife and fill it with some pesto. If you’re feeling fancy you can also add ricotta or ham.

Meats and vegetables
Lots of different meats go well with the addition of pesto. Try having pesto with your lamb instead of meat sauce. Put it on top of chicken, fish and roast vegetables to add a bit of excitement.

Pesto goes amazingly well with many flavours, try these different flavour combinations a try and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.