13 Recipes That Start With A Jar Of Pesto Sauce—From Pasta To Deviled Eggs Sometimes the store-bought stuff does just the trick! By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 17, 2025 Close Credit: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox From rotisserie chicken and refrigerated tortellini to jarred pasta sauce, we're not afraid of a few store-bought shortcuts. While there are some things that will always be superior homemade, sometimes the shelf-stable ingredient does the trick just fine—and pesto is one of those. When time, and fresh greens allow, we love homemade basil pesto, spinach pesto, or ramp pesto, but in a pinch a jar can help whip up some delicious meals beyond just dressing up a box of pasta. These recipes make the most of a simple jar of pesto from the market from sandwiches and soups to pasta bakes and even pickles. No one will be the wiser that you didn't make your pesto from scratch! What Is Pesto? 01 of 13 Pesto Deviled Eggs Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley We say you can eat green eggs and ham with these pesto-filled, crispy prosciutto-topped bites. While the recipe and ingredient list calls for making homemade pesto, you can easily use a jar of the store-bought stuff in a pinch instead. get the recipe Save 02 of 13 Marry Me Chicken Dip Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Instead of traditional basil pesto, this recipe calls for a jar of sun-dried tomato, basil, and cheese pesto, which adds an extra savory and tangy flavor to this creamy appetizer. get the recipe Save 03 of 13 Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Pasta dinners are always easy, but this five-ingredient, 25-minute recipe couldn't be simpler. Thanks to shrimp that cooks quickly and a jar of refrigerated basil pesto, this is truly the time-saving dinner your busy schedule needs. get the recipe Save 04 of 13 Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup Credit: Greg DuPree When the temperature starts to drop, there's perhaps no dish that instantly warms us up from the inside out like a bowl of beef soup. Convenient ingredients like frozen veggies, pasta, and canned tomatoes meet for a soup that's cozy and filling. The secret ingredient that sets this one apart from the others? A topping of basil pesto right before serving for a burst of flavor. get the recipe Save 05 of 13 Pesto Pickles Credit: Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox The ingredient pairing you didn't know was missing has been right under your nos—or likely sitting in separate jars in your refrigerator. A few spoonfuls of pesto give crunchy pickles an extra boost of fresh herby, nutty flavor. get the recipe 06 of 13 Summer Orzo Salad Credit: Photographer and Prop stylist: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Truly the only ingredient that can take a bowl of easy pasta salad like this one to the next level is pesto. Mix in a dollop with the cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, spinach, white beans, orzo, and pistachios. get the recipe Save 07 of 13 Chicken-And-Fontina Panini Credit: Greg Dupree; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside, paninis are a convenient and delicious way to whip up a sandwich at lunch or dinnertime. With just five ingredients that include store-bought favorites like refrigerated pesto and rotisserie chicken, this sandwich is easy and filling. get the recipe Save 08 of 13 Chicken Caprese Pasta Credit: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox This light and colorful pasta dish is perfect for al fresco summer dinner parties. Instead of a cheese-loaded recipe, this one keeps it simple with fresh torn mozzarella to pair with bursting tomatoes and creamy pesto. get the recipe Save 09 of 13 Broccoli Pesto Pasta Credit: Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Christine Keely While this recipe calls for making a delicious homemade broccoli-based pesto, it'll be just as tasty if you need to substitute in a jar of the grocery store stuff to save time. get the recipe Save 10 of 13 Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna Credit: SL Van Chaplin As if lasagna and ravioli weren't delicious enough on their own, we made a recipe that combines them. Layers of cheesy ravioli, pesto, Alfredo sauce, and fresh spinach make for an incredibly indulgent (yet meatless!) supper that the whole family will love. get the recipe Save 11 of 13 Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole Credit: Greg DuPree Hot, cheesy, and oh-so-comforting, this is the pasta dinner you can always count on. We amped up store-bought Alfredo sauce with a bit of refrigerated pesto for even more flavor. Using rotisserie chicken is so much faster than cooking your own, and it makes this hearty pasta bake nice and filling. get the recipe Save 12 of 13 Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna Credit: Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford This might seem like a classic beef lasagna, but a jar of pesto sauce adds so much more flavor than your usual recipe. A combination of ricotta and cottage cheese makes for cheesy, creamy layers, but the best part about this recipe is that you can freeze the unbaked lasagna for up to three months. get the recipe Save 13 of 13 Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread Credit: Southern Living No one has ever said no to cheesy, garlic bread—no matter what shape it's in. A slew of store-bought ingredients, including basil pesto, make this crowd-favorite a cinch to pull together. Arrange the dough balls in various shapes to suit your occasion. get the recipe Save Frequently Asked Questions What are some ways to use pesto sauce? Other than pairing it with pasta, pesto sauce is a great way to add flavoring to soups, dips, or vegetables. Add pesto sauce as a condiment on sandwiches or use it to make compound butter. Finally, adding pesto to scrambled eggs introduces bold flavoring to this simple dish. Is pesto sauce healthy? While higher in calories than other sauces, pesto sauce uses ingredients with many health benefits, including basil, olive oil, and nuts. Oil and nuts are heart-healthy fats. However, jarred pesto sauce may be high in sodium. Explore more: Food and Recipes Dinner Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit