24 Pesto Recipes That Aren't Pasta

Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong

Move over pasta, these pesto-packed recipes show just how versatile the sauce can be. This bright, herb-forward condiment pairs beautifully with everything from chicken and seafood to fresh vegetables. Recipes like our Creamy Pesto Beans and Cauliflower Steaks with Poached Eggs & Pesto Hollandaise show how pesto can elevate any dish.

01 of 24

Pesto Breakfast Sandwich

Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This vibrant green veggie pesto sandwich is the perfect way to get your day started. This 10-minute breakfast features microgreens, which are young vegetable sprouts harvested just after the first true leaves develop. If you can’t find microgreens, alfalfa sprouts or chopped baby lettuce can be used in their place.

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02 of 24

Creamy Pesto Beans

Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong

These creamy pesto beans come together in just 30 minutes. The sauce clings to tender white beans, and whatever is left is perfect for sopping up with a warm, crusty baguette. For a heartier meal, serve the beans over whole-grain pasta, letting the sauce coat every bite.

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03 of 24

Cauliflower Steaks with Poached Eggs & Pesto Hollandaise

Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel

This weekend-worthy dish features cauliflower “steaks” flavored with Italian seasoning and topped with sautéed kale, a poached egg and pesto-flavored hollandaise. No need to fret over finicky homemade hollandaise—our blender method simplifies the process, bypassing the stovetop hassle with a creamy stable sauce that won’t break or separate. Look for medium heads of cauliflower with compact florets for the best “steaks.” The center-cut slices hold their shape best. Use any extra florets from the sides to make cauliflower rice or roast them separately for a salad.

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04 of 24

Zucchini with Pesto & Burrata

Credit: Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Credit: Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Broiled zucchini slices are the perfect vessel for delivering small bites of creamy burrata cheese for a quick and easy appetizer or side. We love the creamy center of burrata cheese, but feel free to swap it out for pieces of fresh mozzarella or mozzarella pearls. Store-bought pesto is a great shortcut. Opt for refrigerated prepared pesto for the freshest flavor.

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05 of 24

Pesto, Egg & Potato Skillet

Credit: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali.
Credit: Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Stylist: Shannon Goforth, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali.

This pesto, egg and potato skillet is a flavorful meal made with just five ingredients thanks to a generous spoonful of pesto, which adds an herby richness. The eggs can easily be cooked to your liking. If you prefer the yolks cooked through, add a few extra minutes to the cook time in Step 3. Garnish with basil, if desired.

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06 of 24

Crispy Pesto Chicken with Whipped Feta & Tomatoes

Credit: Photographer: Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Emily Hall
Credit: Photographer: Greg Dupree, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Emily Hall

These crispy chicken cutlets, flavored with pesto and topped with juicy burst tomatoes, are served with creamy whipped feta. Seek out feta cheese in brine and crumble it by hand for the best results. While we love the vibrant yellow color and sweet flavor of Sungold cherry tomatoes, any cherry or grape tomato will work well here.

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07 of 24

Chicken & Cabbage Soup with Pesto

Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

This one-pot chicken and cabbage soup is topped with flavor-boosting store-bought pesto. Big, fiber-rich butter beans add a creamy bite, but you can easily swap them out for cannellini beans or navy beans if you prefer. This soup works well with leftover chicken—simply shred or chop cooked chicken and add it to the soup to reheat once the cabbage is tender.

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08 of 24

Smashed Mushrooms with Pesto & Burrata

Credit: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Skyler Myers, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Credit: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Skyler Myers, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Smashing the mushrooms increases their surface area, maximizing caramelization under the broiler. Creamy burrata cheese complements the tangy pesto drizzle. Refrigerated pesto, or homemade pesto if you have it, lends the best flavors. For a twist, swap out the basil pesto for sun-dried tomato pesto.

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09 of 24

Charred Cabbage Steaks with Pesto & Burrata

Credit: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman
Credit: Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

These tender grilled cabbage steaks are topped with store-bought pesto and creamy burrata cheese. The slices closest to the center of each head hold together best with the core keeping them intact. Chop up the leftover outside edges of each head to roast alongside the cabbage steaks, or thinly slice them for a simple cabbage salad.

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10 of 24

15-Minute Pesto Shrimp

Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

This versatile and quick pesto shrimp can be served alongside a hunk of crusty bread, over pasta or rice, or even used as a topping for pizza. Look for shrimp that are free from preservatives, which can alter the texture and add sodium to the dish. We like the brightness and fresh flavor of refrigerated pesto, but a homemade classic basil pesto will make the dish extra special.

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11 of 24

Copycat Sweetgreen Chicken Pesto Parm Bowl

Credit: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
Credit: Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

Re-create a popular Sweetgreen menu item at home with this copycat grain bowl recipe. Quinoa provides staying power, thanks to its high fiber content, while chicken adds protein to keep you satisfied and nourished. Tossing the broccoli in hot sauce and crushed red pepper lends a spicy note to this flavorful bowl.

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12 of 24

Smashed Zucchini with Pesto & Burrata

Credit: Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Credit: Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Tender zucchini rounds get topped with creamy burrata and tangy, bright pesto for an easy side dish that's sure to impress. Crushed red pepper adds a light kick of spice to round out the flavors.

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13 of 24

Pesto Scrambled Eggs

Credit: Photographer / Brie Passano Styling / Annie Probst / Holly Raibikis
Credit: Photographer / Brie Passano Styling / Annie Probst / Holly Raibikis

Pep up breakfast (or dinner) with a little pesto. And be careful not to overcook your eggs. Scrambled eggs are at their best when you see soft, creamy curds. Serve with a slice of whole-grain toast and sliced tomatoes.

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14 of 24

Hot Turkey Pesto Sandwich

Credit: Victor Protasio
Credit: Victor Protasio

This turkey pesto sandwich features fresh mozzarella cheese, which melts beautifully, creating a gooey, cheesy bite. Serve for lunch or dinner alongside a bowl of soup for a filling meal.

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15 of 24

Pesto Salmon

Credit: Will Dickey
Credit: Will Dickey

Herby and bright pesto coats tender salmon fillets in this quick and healthy fish dish. Colorful cherry tomatoes burst and combine with shallots to complement the pesto in this fast and simple weeknight dinner.

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16 of 24

Pepper, Pesto & Spinach Stromboli

Credit: Jason Donnelly
Credit: Jason Donnelly

Stromboli can often be heavy with meat and cheese, but this version is packed with veggies. Nutty fontina is more flavorful than classic mozzarella, so a little goes long way. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

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17 of 24

Cheesy Pull-Apart Cauliflower with Pesto

Credit: Brie Passano
Credit: Brie Passano

A combination of pesto and mozzarella cheese is tucked into a whole head of cauliflower. The florets "pull away" revealing the ooey-gooey cheese beneath for a fun and festive appetizer or side dish.

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18 of 24

Tomato & Pesto Sheet-Pan Eggs

Credit: Casey Barber
Credit: Casey Barber

Chicken sausage, pesto, tomatoes and mozzarella combine to add Italian flavor to these frittata-like slices. Serve them for breakfast as is or in a sandwich (they're great for meal prepping).

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19 of 24

Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls

This pesto chicken quinoa bowl is packed with herbs from the basil pesto and the Italian spice mix, and gets a slight kick of heat from the red pepper. If you enjoy the flavor profile, this dish can also be made with orzo in place of quinoa.

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20 of 24

20-Minute Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Serve these creamy pesto chicken cutlets over your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. This easy dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite.

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21 of 24

Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls

These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy and pretty—and they take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add more vegetables and swap out the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame.

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22 of 24

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Almond Pesto & Butter Beans

Need some new meatless dinner ideas? This vegan recipe for grilled cauliflower steaks with buttery (but butter-free!) butter beans and almond pesto comes together in just 25 minutes but is impressive enough to serve to guests. We're sorry to ask you to buy 2 heads of cauliflower to make this recipe when you only cut a couple of "steaks" from each, but it guarantees the best results. Just think of it this way: having leftovers gives you an excuse to try one of our many other healthy cauliflower recipes!

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23 of 24

Sausage, Mushroom & Pesto Grilled Pizza

Healthy homemade sausage-and-mushroom pizza in the comfort of your backyard? Yes, please. All you need for a Naples-worthy pie is a hot grill, store-bought pizza dough and easy prepared ingredients. Serve with a glass of Chianti.

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24 of 24

Roasted Carrot Tart with Carrot-Green Pesto

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.

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Original Source:

https://www.eatingwell.com/pesto-recipes-that-arent-pasta-11923751