101 Uses for Fresh Pesto (approx)

I just wanted to carry on from the two pesto posts below and to give you a few more ideas of what to do with a load of fresh pesto once you have made it.


A couple of teaspoons of fresh pesto mixed into mashed potatoes is absolutely delicious.

Roast some vegetables (aubergine, courgette, carrots, other squash) in a little olive oil, and once cooked toss them in a little pesto before serving.

Have a look at this recipe and add pesto to the stuffing of the chicken breast.

A tsp of pesto stirred into any kind of bean salad (like this one or this one would be superb.

For a bit of a difference stir a teaspoon of pesto into a traditional potato mayo salad.

What about a spoon of pesto into this smoked haddock and potato salad?

Using a ratio of 3 : 1 water down pesto with classic vinaigrette and then use it as a drizzle over a dish before serving. If you have one of those cheffy squeezy bottles even better.

Pesto is fabulous with oily fish, mix it with salmon and it is a match made in heaven.

Pesto and goat’s cheese is a good combination.

A delicious accompanying vegetable dish to a roast dinner is to boil together some thinly chopped carrots and some frozen peas. Drain and just before serving toss them with a spoonful of fresh pesto.

If you have made some soup (especially if you do this one ) place a little dollop of fresh pesto right in the middle of the soup just before taking it to the table.

Some fresh pesto thinly spread on some grilled fish just after cooking is fabulous.

To make a really good herby crust for lamb mix some plain flour into some fresh pesto to create a slightly stiff paste and spread it over a leg of lamb that you have made quite deep cuts in. Wrap in foil and roast as normal.

Bruschetta : a post will follow with some ideas for little yummy bruschetta nibbles. A lot of them incorporate pesto!