I love pesto for a few reasons
- It’s so easy to meal prep and have on hand for a quick dinner option.
- You can make it in large batches and freeze in ice cube trays, for easy portions.
- It’s delicious and so versatile
There are so many different variations to pesto and so many ways to use it. There’s the classic basil and pine nut option or mix and match different herbs and nuts, like I have here.
Here are my top five favourite and most delicious ways to use this Minty Herb Pesto!
1. Use it as a pasta sauce
My two favourite pastas right now are pulse pasta and buckwheat pasta. Both types are gluten free and are filled with protein and fibre, helping make your meal balanced. It’s a sauce that can work both hot and cold pasta dishes. I love using it in Autumn and Winter with a tasty veggie packed pulse pesto chicken pasta. Adding in extra vegetables helps load up your meal, keeping you fuller for longer.
2. Enjoy it as a dip
The beautiful colour of this dip makes it an essential on any cheese platter, grazing table or charcuterie board. The original thick texture of the pesto means it makes the perfect accompaniment to some seeded crackers and veggie snacks as a snack. YUM!
3. Use it as a marinade or dressing
To make the perfect salad dressing out of a thick pesto add in extra olive oil and some lemon juice. I make a mean summer pesto salad in Summer loaded with buckwheat pasta, fresh tomatoes and a few other tasty surprises. Another way to use this tasty dressing is over a cold potato salad.
4. Enjoy is as a spread on wraps, sandwiches and burgers
If you’re getting board of the same old spreads being used as the base on your wraps, sandwiches and burgers? Use this pesto instead. It adds an intense flavour bomb and you won’t go back to boring butter again!
5. Use on pizza
If you’re up for trying something new, add some pesto to the base of your pizzas as an alternative to tomato sauce. Think of the beautiful colours and toppings you could make with a green based pizza.
I’ve become so fond of using Nutritional Yeast aka Nooch lately. It had an incredible cheesy flavour to it without the dairy – perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Nooch is high in vitamin B12 and protein.
Experiment using different flavours and see what you can come up with!
As always, make sure you show me what you’re cooking lately by tagging me over on insta @mysimpleplate
Enjoy!
Minty Herb Pesto
INGREDIENTS
- 2 C Mint tightly packed
- 1 C Parsley loosely packed
- ½ C Coriander tightly packed
- ½ C Macadamia Nuts
- ½ Lemon juiced
- ¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ C Pumpkin Seeds
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 ½ Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- Salt & Pepper to taste
METHOD
- Remove skin from garlic.
- Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend on high until well combined.
- The texture will be thick and a little course. The perfect consistency if you're using it as a dip.
- Add more olive oil and lemon juice to thin out the pesto if you are using it as a dressing.
- If you’re not using it straight away, divide the mixture into air tight jars or containers and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
