31 Things To Make With Pesto, Even if You’ve Only Got a Little Bit Left

Pesto might just be the perfect flavor enhancer. It features a well-rounded balance of peppery basil, buttery pine nuts and salty Italian cheese that’s impossible to resist. If you’ve got a jar on hand, you’re in luck. You can, of course, use it to sauce gnocchi and pasta dishes — but even a dollop or two will take fish, salads, breads (and more!) to a whole new level.

One of our favorite ways to use it up? This sheet pan lasagna. A true weeknight winner, it maximizes all the best parts of the classic dish while minimizing the time and effort required to prepare it. This version is inspired by a white lasagna and is packed with savory Italian sausage, vibrant spinach and our star ingredient: aromatic pesto.

Cooking eggs in pesto is a great alternative to frying in butter and an easy way to enhance their flavor. When the pesto is heated, the oil separates from the rest of the ingredients and gives your eggs crispy, fried edges. While this dish is delicious on its own, try serving the eggs with sliced fresh tomatoes and mozzarella for a take on Caprese salad or on toasted sourdough bread for a quick meal.

Although it's made with just five ingredients, the cooking technique packs the soup with flavor. You start by poaching bone-in chicken thighs in chicken broth, which amps up the flavor of the broth and leaves you with meat so tender, it practically falls off the bone. A swirl of pesto at the end delivers a welcome cheesy, herby hit.

Geoffrey uses a combination of prepared pesto, mustard and lemon juice to make a savory sauce for salmon fillets. He tops the fish with the sauce before cooking — so that every bite is full of flavor.

This Italian-inspired take on a BLT sandwich replaces the bacon with crispy pancetta, the lettuce with spicy arugula and the sliced bread with focaccia for a delicious update on the classic. A bit of pesto is, naturally, the perfect addition to the mayo.

An easy way to health-ify potato salad? Skip the mayonnaise-based dressing and opt for a simple basil pesto instead. Ellie makes her own but jarred would taste every bit as delicious here.

Each of these pesto-packed noodle roll-ups has just the right amount of filling and bakes in a fraction of the time a traditional deep-dish lasagna takes. Talk about a winning dinner!

Pesto does double duty in these yummy meatballs. We add some to the ground meat mixture for moisture and depth of flavor — then simmer the meatballs in chicken broth and pesto for an extra herby kick.

If you love picking up an assortment of pinwheels at the local pizzeria then you're going to want to keep this homemade versio in your recipe box. They're a cinch to make, thanks to store-bought crescent dough and flavorful basil pesto.

Katie combines store-bought pesto with mayonnaise to make a creamy and delicious dressing for her reimagined pasta salad. Her other twist? She uses tender gnocchi instead of the pasta!

Ellie makes her own pesto in this recipe but you could just as easily add jarred pesto to the broccoli instead of the Parmesan, basil and olive oil. Whether you decide to make your own or go with store-bought, this better-for-you pesto pie is sure to please.

Pesto transforms a simple Italian-inspired dish into something special. And since it's packed with flavor, the pesto only needs a few other ingredients (artichokes, Parmesan and provolone cheese) to make a filling fit for these crispy, golden brown chicken cutlets.

An easy way to add flavor to homemade soup? Pesto! It's packed with fragrant basil, buttery pine nuts and salty cheese, making it the perfect addition to lots of your favorite recipes.

This may look like classic fried chicken, but pesto acts as our secret ingredient. The chicken is soaked in a milk-and-pesto mixture so that it's bolder, yummier — and packed with a garlic-basil punch that's both fun and unexpected.

Cooking the ravioli in one skillet all the way through means there is no need to boil, drain and reserve the starchy cooking water. The residual cooking water will thin out the pesto just enough for a loose coating and help the pesto sauce thicken a touch without becoming gummy.

Instead of relying on rich, wintery flavors like maple or smoky spices, these oven-roasted carrots are bright and spring-y topped with dollops of pesto and creamy ricotta cheese.

This family-friendly meal is full of tricks that will save time and energy. Aside from making fewer dishes (the meatballs and veggies cook together on one sheet pan) you can also skip extra chopping and measuring for seasonings since the meatballs get their flavor from store-bought pesto.

Talk about your easy appetizers: These cheesy, pesto-filled twists come together with just three ingredients — crescent dough, mozzarella and pesto (plus a dusting of flour). This means more time with your guests and less time in the kitchen.

Ree takes the simple skillet supper to new heights by filling this one with all the best flavors of summer: zucchini, summer squash, corn, tomatoes and savory basil pesto.

Molly uses prepared pesto to give these deep-fried, sausage-and-mozzarella bites extra flavor. Paired with marinara for dipping, they taste just like miniature pizzas!

Rachael gives classic pasta salad a simple update: she dresses it with store-bought pesto. To brighten things up just a bit, she adds some lemon zest and juice, too.

Giada turns simple asparagus spears into an impressive side worthy that you could serve at a dinner part with just 4 more ingredients: proscuitto, salt, shaved Parmesan cheese and pesto.

These savory pesto pinwheels are an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer, side or snack made with just a handful of ingredients. Buttery crescent dough is filled with pesto and two kinds of cheese, then rolled, sliced and baked to golden, cheesy perfection. Ready in under 30 minutes, they’re perfect for entertaining or a quick bite anytime.

These grilled chicken sandwiches have all the flavor of a classic caprese salad thanks to slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella — and a generous slather of fragrant basil pesto.

Skirt steak, a super flavorful and quick-cooking cut of beef, is made even better with a simple, 2-ingredient pesto butter. Served with grilled asparagus, this is a recipe to keep in your back pocket for whenever you need a quick and delicious meal.

This 3-ingredient appetizer is so delicious, no one will believe you made it just 5 minutes!

If you're a fan of the hack where oven-baked cheese and tomatoes are transformed into a creamy, crave-worthy pasta sauce, then you'll love Ree's take on the dish. She uses goat cheese and adds a healthy dose of pesto at the end for extra flavor.

Thought homemade risotto couldn't get any more delicious? Try swirling some prepared pesto at the end for a great pop of fresh, fragrant flavor.

Make Eddie's one-of-a-kind wings even easier by substituting store-bought pesto for homemade.

Guy folds store-bought pesto (and cream cheese!) into homemade pretzel dough for a soft, savory treat that's 100% worth the extra time and effort.