14 Pesto Recipes That Aren't Pasta (2024)

Move over pasta, these pesto-packed recipes highlight the sauce's versatility. The bright, herby condiment works well with chicken, seafood and vegetables. Recipes like Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto and Charred Shrimp & Pesto Buddha Bowls show how pesto elevates any dish.

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Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

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This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients--boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell. Source: EatingWell Soups Special Issue April 2016

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Italian Pesto Chicken Salad

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Prepared pesto is the secret ingredient in this lightened-up, healthy creamy chicken salad recipe. For the prettiest dressing, go for a bright-green colored pesto. Serve the salad open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2016

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Roasted Carrot Tart with Carrot-Green Pesto

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In this vegetarian main-dish recipe, you use the entire carrot from root to greens, so there's less waste. Roasted carrots are layered on top of a creamy ricotta base with pesto made using the green tops from carrots. Untrimmed carrots can be tough to find, but when you do, cut off the tops and store them separately or they'll draw moisture from the carrots. If you don't have carrot greens, use 1 cup of parsley instead. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2018

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Charred Shrimp & Pesto Buddha Bowls

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These shrimp and pesto Buddha bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2019

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Poached Cod & Green Beans with Pesto

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Using just one skillet, this easy fish recipe cooks cod right on top of fresh green beans and uses the same pan to make a flavorful sauce. The result is perfectly flaky fish, tender-crisp vegetables, a savory pan sauce and very little cleanup. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2014

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Campfire Caprese Grilled Cheese

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A twist on a classic grilled cheese, this caprese sandwich adds pesto and tomato for a quick and simple campsite meal.

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20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce

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Serve these quick chicken cutlets with creamy pesto sauce over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, February 2020

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Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens

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For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2015

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Pesto, Mozzarella & Egg Breakfast Sandwich

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This healthy vegetarian breakfast egg-sandwich recipe is a delicious way to use up pesto and fresh mozzarella cheese and it's ready in just 5 minutes. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2013

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Cream Cheese-&-Pesto-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

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Cream cheese and pesto make a delectable filling for lean chicken breasts. Use this technique to experiment with other fillings as well, such as ham and cheese or goat cheese and chopped olives. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Winter 2004

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

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Here we toss nutty roasted sprouts with a quick sun-dried tomato pesto. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2010

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Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Tomatoes, Beans & Almond Pesto

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Looking at a tangle of spaghetti squash tricks your brain into thinking you're about to eat a serving of eggy noodles, when in fact, you get a nice calorie and carb savings in this healthy recipe. Giving tomatoes a stint in a hot oven makes them candy-sweet. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2017

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Hasselback Eggplant Parmesan

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The coolest way to make classic eggplant parm--and easier too! Use the hasselback technique to make partial cuts into the whole eggplant every 1/4 inch or so to fill up with melty cheese, flavorful sauce and crunchy breadcrumbs. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2017

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Green Risotto

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Serve this pretty, pesto-flavored risotto alongside roasted chicken or pork roast or serve with a big salad for a light dinner. We add a splash of wine along with each addition of broth to give the dish a more pronounced wine flavor. If you'd prefer the wine to be more subtle, add the entire cup at the end of Step 3 and cook, stirring, until the liquid is gone, then begin adding the broth. You can substitute more broth in place of the wine. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2011