15 Pesto Recipes That Prove Summer Is the Besto

An abundance of fresh herbs is transformed into bright, flavorful pesto that brings out the best in any salad, soup, or pasta.

Anna Thomas Bates

Updated June 17, 2024

Pesto on linguine in a bowl, garnished with fresh basil and next to a bunch of basil. — Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Pesto is one of the best ways to use up abundance of bright, fresh herbs. Pesto comes from the word for "crushed" in Italian, and here we show you how to transform more than just basil into this super condiment. Cilantro, tarragon, parsley, mint: They all have a place in our pesto-saturated hearts. Below we'll also give you ideas for incorporating pesto into meals other than pasta (although we are not complaining about a plate of pesto-covered pasta). Flank steak, potato salad, even soup can benefit from the concentrated flavor that pesto brings.

And if you have a nut allergy or don't eat cheese, read on for the best pesto options for you too.

Pesto Pasta With Potatoes and Green Beans
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Here's a classic Genovese method of making pesto pasta with potatoes and green beans, plus some tips on how to serve pasta with pesto.
Pesto Pasta With Potatoes and Green Beans
The Best Pesto Alla Genovese (Classic Basil Pesto Sauce)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
This pesto sauce, through rounds and rounds of testing, has been honed to the perfect ratio, ingredients, and method. And, while a mortar and pestle requires a bit of work, the superior sauce it produces compared to a food processor can't be argued with. This is the true, best pesto.
Pesto alla Genovese (Classic Basil Pesto Sauce)
Yukon Gold Potato Salad With Tarragon Pesto and Pickled Onions
Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer
This simple pesto tarragon sauce has bright, clean flavors and is delicious as a dressing for potato salad. Torn black olives and tangy pickled onions add salinity and tartness.
Yukon Gold Potato Salad With Tarragon Pesto and Pickled Onions
Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto With Almonds and Tomatoes)
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Pesto alla trapanese is rich with nuts, basil, olive oil, garlic, and cheese. But there's a secret ingredient that transforms the sauce into something even lighter and more refreshing: tomatoes.
Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian Pesto With Almonds and Tomatoes)
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Pizza with Pesto, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
A thin New York-style crust is covered in melty mozzarella, then dolloped with fresh ricotta and bright green pesto for a bright and creamy white pizza.
Pizza with Pesto, Ricotta, and Mozzarella
Ramp Pesto
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez.
Here's a garlicky, savory pesto made from a foraged wild onion that chefs (and food writers) go wild for.
Ramp Pesto
Zucchini and Lettuce Soup With Pesto
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
When summer produce is at its peak and there are enormous zucchini and bunches of almost-wilting lettuce that need a home, it can all be put together in a soup. And this emerald-green soup is made even brighter with a last-minute dollop of pesto stirred in.
Zucchini and Lettuce Soup With Pesto
Fennel Frond Pesto With Lemon and Anchovies
Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer
Fennel fronds, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a lot of anchovies make this pesto a flavorful and versatile condiment to have on hand. Use it as pasta sauce, spoon it into soup, or swirl it into ricotta.
Fennel Frond Pesto With Lemon and Anchovies
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Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak With Pesto, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto
Serious Eats / J. Kenji López-Alt
Grilling and pesto are highlights of summer. Here we combine the two by slathering a butterflied flank steak with fresh pesto, then layering it with mozzarella and prosciutto before slicing it into pinwheels and grilling it over hot coals.
Grilled Stuffed Flank Steak With Pesto, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto
Spaghetti With Parsley Pesto
Serious Eats / Kerry Saretsky
This pesto celebrates what parsley's all about: grassy, light freshness. It's made from parsley, walnuts, parmesan, olive oil, and plenty of garlic, since parsley can really take the flavor.
Spaghetti With Parsley Pesto
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Serious Eats / Robin Bellinger
Have a nut allergy? No problem. This pesto is still flavorful and delicious with all of the usual main players: basil, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil, but instead of nuts, pumpkin seeds are swapped in.
Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Fingerling Potato Salad With Aioli, Pesto, Fried Shallots, and Pecorino
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
This fingerling potato salad with aioli, basil pesto, fried shallots, and pecorino is full of contrasts that come together into one amazing side dish.
Fingerling Potato Salad With Aioli, Pesto, Fried Shallots, and Pecorino
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Vegan Garden Pesto With Miso and Mixed Herbs
Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik
Put this versatile pesto on the table alongside a mixed grill. It's tasty with both lamb chops and chicken legs, shrimp and grilled vegetables, and, of course, served with pasta. Miso gives this pesto a remarkably savory, almost cheesy flavor, and keeps the sauce vegan for those avoiding animal products.
Vegan Garden Pesto With Miso and Mixed Herbs Recipe
Mint, Feta, and Pistachio Pesto
Serious Eats / Daniel Gritzer
This pesto is created with roughly equal quantities of mint and parsley. Parsley helps rein in the mint without competing too much with its fresh aroma and flavor. Pistachios and feta round out the intriguing ingredient list.
Mint, Feta, and Pistachio Pesto
Cilantro Pesto
Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel
This fresh take on pesto features substitutions that complement the flavor of cilantro—pine nuts became pumpkin seeds and parmesan was replaced with cotija. A serrano pepper adds a bit of heat and lime juice brings a fresh acidity.
Cilantro Pesto

15 Pesto Recipes That Prove Summer Is the Besto

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