If you have a soft spot for Italian cuisine, chances are that you love the fresh and creamy pesto sauce. The smooth texture and burst of flavours in the popular sauce make it a perfect accompaniment to most dishes. The versatile sauce need not be limited to just Italian fare. With small tweaks and smart customizations, pesto sauce can be added to anything - ranging from your homemade salads to gourmet sandwiches. The sauce is traditionally made with fresh basil leaves and olive oil. The primary ingredients used for seasoning are lemon juice, pepper and salt. The richness of the sauce is brought in by adding pine nuts.
Before we tell you what to pair the sauce with, let's find out how to make pesto sauce at home. The recipe is simple to follow and you can replace the elusive pine nuts with more common nut options such as cashew nuts and peanuts. Click here for recipe.
If you think that pesto sauce and pasta are a match made in heaven and that the sauce cannot go as well with another dish, we have news for you. We have curated a list of five recipes that feature the delicious pesto sauce and are simple to make. Take a look.
5 Fun Ways To Add Pesto Sauce To Your Meals:
Grilled Veg Pesto Sandwich:
This is the perfect dish for lazy Sunday brunches. The healthy and filling grilled vegetarian pesto sandwich is made of ingredients such as bell peppers, zucchini, onion, garlic and mushrooms. The recipe also recommends using a good dose of garlic to add a robust flavour to the dish. The various vegetables are tied together by the pesto sauce, which also prevents the bread from going dry. Check out the recipe here.
Caprese Salad with Pesto Sauce:
If you are on a diet that requires you to indulge in salads regularly, this recipe is exactly what you need. The simple Caprese salad is elevated by adding the pesto sauce. The dish is a healthy addition to your meal as it involves ingredients such as tomatoes, basil and mozzarella. For those of you looking for a more filling option, you can add a side of fries to the salad. Follow the recipe here.
Pesto Chicken:
Chicken and basil are a match made in heaven. And the combination is further enhanced when the basil is incorporated in the form of a pesto sauce. This is exactly what the recipe does. Pesto chicken is a dish that is easy to cook, healthy as well as filling. The fillets are coated in pesto sauce and baked. Take a look at the recipe.
Pesto Fish Kebabs:
This recipe gives pesto sauce an Indian twist by using it as a marinade for fish kebabs. The fish chucks are drizzled and coated with pesto and vinegar before it is placed on the skewers. If your ingredients are ready to hit the pan, this dish can be cooked within 30 minutes. Follow the recipe here.
Gnocchi With Pesto Sauce:
Gnocchi and pesto is a classic combination that you simply cannot go wrong with. The potato-based dumplings are paired with rich pesto sauce to give you a fresh burst of flavours in the mouth. If you want to steer away from potatoes, you can also make your gnocchi with polenta, ricotta, stale bread or pumpkin. The flavours of pesto will ensure that you cannot tell the difference. Check out the recipe here.
Tell us which dish you are going to kick off your pesto sauce journey with.