Getting playful with pesto: five recipes improvise on a summer standard

Pesto is a quintessential summer meal maker—garden fresh, versatile and requiring little or no cooking. Here are five pesto recipes, from the traditional basil to creative takes using sage, cilantro and even kale.

Fettuccine with Pecan Pesto

A sudden abundance of basil in our garden has us enjoying quick weeknight—and lazy weekend—dinners of simply prepared pesto with pasta. But it doesn’t always have to team up with pasta. It can be tossed with cooked potatoes and green beans, spooned over grilled meats and fishes—even smeared on crusty bread as a snack or appetizer. And it doesn’t always require basil, as some of these recipes demonstrate. Continue reading “Getting playful with pesto: five recipes improvise on a summer standard”

A fresh take on a no-cook pasta (and everything else) sauce: Sage Pecan Pesto

Sage puts a fresh, summery spin on classic basil pesto. This quick, no-cook sauce is perfect for pasta, chicken, chops, steaks, roasted vegetables and more. Recipe below.

Sage Pecan Pesto

Our friend Gloria plants a veritable truck garden every year, mostly on her patio. In contrast to her, this spring we planted approximately nothing in our yard. As a result, that’s pretty much what we have growing there. Except for the sage. We planted it two or three years ago, and it’s surprised us every year since by coming back. Continue reading “A fresh take on a no-cook pasta (and everything else) sauce: Sage Pecan Pesto”