What do you do with pesto?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

I often see pesto pasta described as a really quick and simple meal, but how do you make it? Do you literally just stir a spoonful of pesto through cooked pasta and call it done? My 1yr old adores pasta so I'm always on the lookout for new pasta meals he can try when we have a meal he can't have.

I ate so much of the stuff in 1998, I can't look it now.
Dd likes it with pasta, parmesan and black olives.

This salmon en croute with pesto is amazing

www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/recipes/detail/salmon-en-croute-with-pesto-roasted-vegetables

1. Put it on salmon before it goes in the oven. Delicious.
2. Make paninis with pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes.
3. stir it in to couscous and serve with roasted veg and grilled/fried halloumi
4. stir in to pasta with sweetcorn and cheese
5. stir it in to gnocchi with chicken and vegetables

Strange you started this now. I was looking for recipes to make pesto with sage and parsley as i’ve been growing them and i’m going to try a recipe I found with sage, parsley and walnuts (and oil and cheese!)

Use it in sandwiches instead of pickle/chutney.

Add it on top of a jacket spud.

Add to a pizza as a topping.

Do make your own (its a good work out for the arms using the pestle and mortar) soooo much nicer than the jars or tetra pots...- We make a batch up and use over week or so on pasta, on homemade pizza, on tuna panini, with tomato, basil and mozzarella salad....

Stirring a little bit of the water from the pan you cooked the pasta through the pesto makes it a much better consistency and it coats the pasta better. I also make tabuleh (bulgar wheat) salad with tomato and pesto

Pesto omelette. Add a. Tbsp of pesto to your beaten eggs then when cooked, stuff with cheese and cherry toms. Fab breakfast with sourdough toast

Spread it on warm cheese scones

If we’re having it with just pasta I make my own. Warning, once you start doing this there is no going back. My homemade pesto is a totally cheapo knock off too, with cheddar and Aldi value cashews. Still a million times better than the jar stuff.

Pesto made with Parmesan and pine nuts is very pricey.

Pesto made with Parmesan and pine nuts is very pricey.

Yes! What has happened to pine nuts to make them so expensive? I use almonds instead.

I cook about 3x times a year, but one of my specialities is a pasta dish involving chicken, garlic, mushrooms and homemade pesto and a LOT of parmesan and pine nuts.

My dh cooks 360 days a year and is fabulous. But our kids view my pesto/chicken as the ultimate treat.

We use any nut apart from pine nuts as they are such a stupid price.

One pot dinner.
Boil broccoli and penne together.
Drain and add pesto.

Family favourite.

For those boggling about putting pesto in porridge,look away now if you have a delicate stomach: I recently learned that on St Kilda they used to recommend boiling a puffin in the porridge to give the porridge some flavour.

It was probably an acquired taste.

Sorry to derail ...

Chicken, pasta and broccoli

Or roast veg in red pesto and blend for a sauce or eat chunk with pasta

You can just stir through pasta but I add cooked chicken, roast cherry tomatoes, roast peppers and a spoonful of Creme fraiche.

Boil pasta, new potatoes and green beans (add at end)’ drain, stir pesto through. Kids love it. Bit more going on than just chewing through pasta and pesto. Potatoes soak up olive oil etc.