There's just something about pesto. It's bright, flavorful, fresh, and versatile, but perhaps the best thing of all is just how easy it is to make and use. And you're never limited to one kind of pesto. While there's a "classic" pesto, it has nearly endless variations to suit dietary requirements, personal taste, and choice of cuisine.
Looking to add fresh flavor to your foods? Make pesto one of your dietary staples. There are so many things you can use to make pesto and all sorts of ways to make it.
Classic Pesto
Pesto is a mixture of seven ingredients: fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, pine nuts, fresh garlic, salt, olive oil, and grated Parmesan cheese, and there's no cooking required. Using a blender, food processor, immersion blender, or mortar and pestle, you chop all the ingredients together to make a flavorful sauce. Here's a good recipe for a classic pesto.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole basil leaves
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ cup pine nuts
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and sea salt for 10-20 one-second pulses, until it is finely chopped.
- Add the lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse for five-10 one-second pulses until well blended.
Pesto tastes best served fresh, but you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Beyond that, spoon it into an ice cube tray and freeze to make single servings of pesto that you can toss into sauces and other hot dishes for additional flavor.
Replacements for Basil
Sweet basil gives pesto its herbaceous vibrancy, but it's not the only thing you can use. You can create all kinds of different pesto flavors simply by swapping the basil in the recipe with an equal amount of any of the following ingredients. You can also mix and match, adding half of one ingredient and half of another.
- Cilantro
- Spinach
- Italian parsley
- Kale
- Half and half kale + oregano
- Carrot peels
- Ramps
- Artichoke hearts (not marinated, well-drained)
- Arugula
- Half and half Italian parsley and oregano
- Mint
- Half and half spinach and tarragon
- Italian parsley + a small amount of dill
- Half and half fennel fronds + spinach
- Spinach + a small amount of thyme
- Radish greens
- Carrot greens
- Beet greens
- Purslane
- Half and half apple peels + basil
- Scallion greens
- Bok choy
- Apple peels
One of the things I like about making pesto is the opportunity to use up ingredients that often are thrown away as food waste, like carrot tops or carrot peels. These can make flavorful pestos — just make sure they're well washed and dried before you use them.
Replacements for Garlic
Garlic has a significant presence in pesto, and it balances the sweet, minty basil beautifully. But there are still a few replacements you can make that will alter the flavors of the pesto in delicious ways.
- Chopped red onions
- Black garlic
- Roasted garlic
- Minced shallot
- Chives
- Garlic chives
- Garlic scapes
- The white part of scallions
- Ginger root
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (for a sweet pesto, such as with mint or with apple peels)
Related: 14 Fast & Easy Hacks for Premade Pasta Sauce to Spice Up Spaghetti
Replacements for Pine Nuts
Pine nuts add texture to pesto and also a lovely, toasty flavor. Use roasted nuts or seeds for the best flavor results.
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Pepitas
- Hulled sunflower seeds
- Cashews
- Pistachios
- Sesame seeds
- Hazelnuts
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Peanuts
- Hemp seeds
Replacements for Lemon Juice
Lemon juice adds brightness and acidity to the pesto, bringing balance. So, using other acidic ingredients can alter the taste while still providing that brightness.
- Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Red wine vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Equal parts balsamic and white vinegar
- Grapefruit juice
- Rice vinegar
- Champagne vinegar
Replacements for Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil has a fruity flavor that's preferred for many pestos, but you can try a few other oils, too, which will change the flavor profile.
- Avocado oil
- Canola oil (for a neutral flavor profile)
- Walnut oil
- Sesame oil
- Canola oil + 1T chili oil
Replacements for Parmesan Cheese
If you're vegan or allergic to dairy products, then cheese won't fly, but you can use one of the cashew or nutritional yeast cheeses instead, or leave out the cheese altogether and double up on nuts or herbs. Or, you can switch up the cheese with another for a different flavor.
- Nutritional yeast (for vegan)
- Asiago cheese
- Manchego
- Aged gouda
- Smoked gouda
- Pecorino
Things to Add
Of course, you can also add other ingredients to change the flavor profile or intensify certain flavors. These are some of my favorites.
- Grated orange zest
- Grated lemon zest
- Grated lime zest
- 1 or 2 anchovies
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Roasted red pepper
- Ricotta (for creamy pesto)
- Caramelized onions
- Mayo (to make a spread)
- Jalapeños or other chili peppers (remove seeds to keep the heat manageable)
- Cream cheese
- Apple
- Canned pumpkin
- Spicy chili crisp
- Sriracha
Tasty Pesto Combos
What's cool about all of that is that you can create endless flavor combinations just by mixing and matching the ingredients, or you can use the proportions and ideas behind the classic pesto recipe to come up with something entirely new. Here are just a few flavor combos to get you started.
- cilantro+scallions+ginger root+sesame seeds+rice vinegar+jalapeños+avocado oil+chili crisp
- cilantro+chopped red onion+smoked gouda+pepitas+avocado oil+grated lime zest
- carrot peels+ginger root+pistachios+orange juice+walnut oil+orange zest
- apple peels+cinnamon+apple cider vinegar+pecans+walnut oil
- apple peels+fennel fronds+walnuts+manchego cheese+avocado oil
- bok choy+black garlic+ginger root+sesame seeds+rice vinegar+walnut oil+a dash of chili oil
Serving Suggestions for Your Pesto
With so many flavor combos, pesto is endlessly versatile. You can make it into creamy dips, combine it with mayo to make a spread, or use it to sauce all kinds of savory foods. Try it alongside any of these foods to make them even more delicious.
- Pasta
- White fish
- Steak
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Trout
- Frittata or omelet
- Veggie dip
- Burrata
- Caprese salad
- Fresh tomatoes
- Bread
- Grilled cheese
- Tomato soup
- Pizza
- Steamed veggies
- Mussels
- Steamer clams
- Zucchini noodles
- Roasted potatoes
- Roasted cauliflower
- Roasted mushrooms
- Other roasted veggies
- Gyros
- Sandwiches
- Burgers
- Scrambled or fried eggs
- Quiche
- Roasted chicken
- Cooked chicken breast
- Stuffed peppers
- Zucchini boats
- Mashed potatoes
- Potato chips or fries (as a dip)
- Grilled oysters
- Warm brie cheese
- Grilled cheese
- Tomato soup
- Spaghetti sauce
- Roasted winter squash
- Spaghetti squash
- Poached pears
- Mix it with ricotta for lasagna filling
- Stir it into tomato sauce to punch up the flavors
Passionate About Pesto
If you're not yet passionate about pesto, this is your invitation to give it a try. With so many uses and great flavor combos, it's a fast and easy kitchen go-to that adds a ton of flavor.
