Easy Courgetti Recipe

Easy pesto recipes

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Make your own fresh pesto then use it in our recipes, from pasta alla genovese to chicken and pesto melts and gnocchi with peas and pesto

Looking for pesto recipes? Need to use up a jar of pesto? Here are some great meal ideas using pesto so your vibrant, punchy sauce doesn't go to waste. We have a homemade pesto recipe, too, so you can make your own from scratch. After, take a look at more of our superfood recipes as well as our best passata recipes.

How to make pesto

To make classic pesto, put a large bunch of basil leaves, 60g grated parmesan, 1 tbsp pine kernels and half a clove of garlic in a small food processor. Whizz, adding enough olive oil until you have a thick green sauce.

Classic pesto recipe

Pesto is pasta's very best friend. Make it as good as possible with fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan.

A jar of homemade pesto with a spoon and basil leaves

Here's a twist on the classic pesto sauce to try...

Vegan pesto

Our vegan version of classic basil pesto is packed full of creamy pine nuts and nutty almonds.

Hemp oil pesto sauce recipe

This easy pesto recipe is a classic twist on the Italian basil pesto recipe to make a really fresh dip.

Pesto Sauce Recipe | Hemp Oil Pesto Sauce

To start, here's a simple pasta salad recipe using pesto...

Pesto, pea and spinach pasta salad recipe

Recipes using pesto

Easy pesto pasta

Turn your hand to making homemade pesto and stir into pasta – whizzing it up takes seconds and your meal will still be on the table in just 25 minutes.

Pesto greens and three-cheese lasagne

This vibrant, veg-packed lasagne makes for an easy yet impressive-looking dish with a creamy cheese trio of ricotta, mascarpone and parmesan.

A slice of layered green lasagne topped with cheese on a plate

Six ingredients and just 20 minutes is all it takes to make a speedy, low-calorie pasta dinner for two.

Pea pesto ravioli

Spring veg gnocchi bake

This one-pot green veg gnocchi bake is elevated with a speedy homemade toasted walnut pesto for an easy, nourishing weeknight dinner that contains 12 different plant foods.

Traybake with gnocchi and spring veg

Grains, greens and beans salad with pesto dressing

On the table in 15 minutes, this nutritious salad is packed with greens and tossed in fresh pesto.

Easy Grain Salad Recipe with Pesto Dressing

Roasted butternut squash wedges with sage pesto

Roast squash in garlic and chilli then top with a herby homemade pesto for an vibrant autumnal side dish.

Roasted butternut squash wedges with pesto on a baking tray

’Nduja prawns with orzo, feta and olive salad

Check out our orzo salad recipe with spicy 'nduja pesto, crumbly feta and juicy prawns. Make this simple salad for an easy low calorie meal.

Feta and Olive Salad Recipe with 'Nduja Prawns

Gnocchi with peas, pesto and spinach

Check out this quick, creamy gnocchi recipe with fresh pesto, bright peas and baby spinach – ready in just 10 minutes.

Gnocchi with Peas, Spinach and Pesto Recipe

Halloumi pasta orecchiette with tomato-almond pesto

Combine toasted almonds with fresh basil, juicy cherry tomatoes and golden sultanas for a twist on classic pesto to stir through orecchiette.

Two plates of orecchiette with halloumi

Salmon with pesto crust

Check out our crusted salmon with fresh pesto. This super quick and easy recipe takes 15 minutes in the oven and it's low in calories, a great midweek meal.

Salmon Recipe With Pesto Sauce Crust

Lamb cutlets with pesto and beans

Check out this super simple lamb recipe. These cutlets are quickly marinated to deepen the juicy flavour, serve with a fresh pesto bean salad for an easy midweek meal ready in just 20 minutes.

Lamb Cutlets Recipe with Pesto and Beans

Hasselback chicken traybake

This super simple and speedy hasselback chicken tray bake with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto makes a delicious tray-bake that's easily doubled or halved.

Hasselback chicken tray bake

Shiso pesto and ricotta cannelloni

Make an aromatic, Asian-inspired ricotta cannelloni with shiso leaf – a staple of Japanese cuisine. Here, it adds a citrusy-anise flavour to the pesto oil.

Shiso leaf pesto and ricotta cannelloni in a baking dish on a teal background

Sicilian aubergine pizzas

Pesto adds a burst of flavour to these Sicilian aubergine pizzas, which use crème fraîche instead of a tomato base, charred aubergines and sultanas, with rocket and pine nuts for a bit of extra crunch.

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Tagliatelle with pesto and peas

Give pesto pasta a twist with this quick and easy recipe for two. A simple homemade pesto with rocket and parmesan is the perfect sauce for tagliatelle.

Tagliatelle Recipe With Peas And Pesto

Rigatoni with broccoli pesto

This recipe for rigatoni with broccoli pesto is a great twist on a classic pesto and the perfect way to use up broccoli. What's more, it's vegetarian and ready in just 20 minutes - perfect for midweek. It's a great way to get the kids eating their greens too!

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Pesto steak with balsamic tomatoes

Ditch the jar and make your own fresh-as-can-be pesto for this low-calorie, gluten-free main for one. This sizzling sirloin steak and tangy tomato dish is quick and easy and takes just 20 minutes to whip up.

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Courgetti with sundried tomato, pesto and mozzarella

Try our super easy 'courgetti' recipe, made with sundried tomatoes, garlic, fresh pesto, mozzarella pearls and courgette spaghetti

Spiralizer Recipes - courgetti

Healthy gnocchi

Golden baked gnocchi, hazelnut pesto and vibrant veggies such as butternut squash and kale come together in this hearty vegetarian dinner recipe.

Baked sweet potatoes with pine nuts, tahini and pesto

Combining all of our favourite flavours, these baked sweet potatoes with pine nuts, tahini and pesto are easy to make, vegetarian and gluten free, making them perfect for a midweek meal.

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Chicken and red pesto melts

With only 20 minutes until melty cheesy goodness, this comforting but low calorie recipe is a great idea for a satisfyingly quick and easy mid-week meal for two, with the red pesto adding a burst of flavour.

chicken-and-red-pesto-melts

Courgette, pea and artichoke salad with pistachio pesto

The pistachio pesto adds a twist to this courgetti, pea and artichoke salad, which is vegan, low calorie, gluten free and ready in just 20 minutes.

courgetti pea and artichoke

Spinach, ricotta and pesto lasagne

Keep a jar of pesto in the cupboard f0r this creamy veggie lasagne with crunchy pine nuts, perfect for feeding the family. It's a great meat-free alternative that's so delicious, you won't miss the beef!

Spinach, Ricotta and Pesto Vegetarian Lasagne

Ciabatta stuffed with garlic, mushrooms and taleggio

What did we do to deserve such an epic sandwich? Garlicy mushrooms, Taleggio cheese and roasted red peppers make for a delicious filling, with fresh green pesto adding the perfect flavour finish.

Garlic mushroom ciabatta

Courgetti with pesto and balsamic tomatoes

Who needs pasta when you can have spiralled courgette? Try our healthy 'courgetti' recipe, made with the delicious combination of baby plum tomatoes, garlic, pesto, pine nuts and a lot of courgette noodles.

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Pasta alla genovese

Pasta alla genovese is a classic Italian pasta dish using just four simple ingredients. Rich in flavour thanks to the pesto and ready in only 15 minutes, it's the perfect quick and easy meal to make midweek.

Pasta Alla Genovese Recipe

This recipe for grilled portobellos with ricotta, pesto and rocket ticks all the boxes: it's ready in 20 minutes, vegetarian and under 300 calories. Plus, it's packed with flavour thanks to the pesto, and the creamy ricotta makes it feel indulgent

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