13 Recipes That Start With A Jar Of Pesto Sauce—From Pasta To Deviled Eggs

Sometimes the store-bought stuff does just the trick!

Chicken Caprese Pasta
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!

01 of 13

Pesto Deviled Eggs

Southern Living Pesto Deviled Eggs on a platter to serve garnished with more basil
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.

02 of 13

Marry Me Chicken Dip

Marry Me Chicken Dip - Southern Living
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.

03 of 13

Creamy Pesto-and-Shrimp Penne with Peas

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.

04 of 13

Hearty Beef and Freezer Veggie Soup

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.

05 of 13

Pesto Pickles

Southern Living Two Ingredient 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.

06 of 13

Summer Orzo Salad

summer orzo salad in a dark blue bowl
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.

07 of 13

Chicken-And-Fontina Panini

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.

08 of 13

Chicken Caprese Pasta

chicken caprese salad on a plate with red rim
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.

09 of 13

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

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.

10 of 13

Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna

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.

11 of 13

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole

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.

12 of 13

Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna

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.

13 of 13

Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread

Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread Video Still
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.

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.

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