Summer days mean perfect produce, hot temps and the desire to not spend a ton of time at the stove.

Enter pesto! It’s a quick, uncooked sauce that can be everything from a condiment to the main star, and it’s endlessly versatile. Got any kind of nut or seed, plus any kind of fresh herb? You can make pesto.

While the classic Ligurian version consists of fresh basil blended into a paste alongside garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and pine nuts, cilantro or parsley works just as well. So do sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds…the list goes on. And you can toast your nuts or seeds first to give them a deeper flavor!

If you want to tame the garlickiness of your pesto, use the green parts of green onions or even chives instead of garlic. (Chives have the added bonus of being excellent additions to herb gardens—pop them in right next to the basil!) If you have unrefined nut oils on hand, those make interesting swaps for extra-virgin olive oil.

Pesto is the perfect foil for fresh tomatoes, of course—it’s right at home on top of insalata caprese, which is fresh mozzarella + sliced tomatoes + fresh basil + balsamic vinegar + extra-virgin olive oil.

Bonus points for double-herbing if you make your pesto with an herb that isn’t basil!

Tossing pesto with pasta only takes as long as cooking the pasta, seeing as you can whizz the pesto into existence in a mini blender in the time it takes to boil your noodles of choice. Then sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano for an authentic Italian flair, or go with any hard, aged, savory cheese that you can grate easily. (Manchego is particularly nice.)

You can easily tweak pesto into being dressing by simply adding more oil. Your grilled veggies just got a whole lot more flavorful! Splashing in a bit of lemon juice will add the acidity you’re looking for in a dressing, and will have the bonus action of delaying how fast the basil will blacken.

Using an herb other than basil will also solve that conundrum. If you stir your pesto into a dollop of whole-milk Greek yogurt, you’ll have an instant dip that’ll be equally good with veggies or with grilled chicken or shrimp. It’s also a better-than-mayo condiment to slather onto sandwiches.

While pesto made with non-basil herbs has a bit of a shelf life, basil-forward pesto blackens quickly. If you do want to store it for the next day, your best option is to scoop your freshly made basil into a tiny jar and then top it off with a layer of extra virgin olive oil. If you can fully “cap” it and prevent any air from getting to the pulverized leaves, then your pesto will still be green the next day. (Handily, olive oil gets stiffer when refrigerated, so it makes a decent edible lid.)

To use your pesto the next day, make sure the actual lid is screwed on tightly and submerge the jar in hot water. It will only take a few minutes to prompt the oil to become a liquid again, at which point you can just give your pesto a quick stir and then immediately use it. It’s too good not to!


Lisa Howard is a writer, editor and health educator who loves to share her joy of cooking delicious and nutritious foods during her community talks and culinary classes. You can find out more about her classes and recipes at www.theculturedcook.com.

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