The Easy Way To Improve Store-Bought Pesto Is Already In Your Pantry

A basic pesto is one of the simplest sauces known to the culinary world — basil, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and some salt and pepper for seasoning — and it's one that tastes decadent and sophisticated no matter how basic the recipe. It is a popular staple that you can buy in the grocery store to keep on hand for a last-minute meal, letting you prove your cooking prowess in a pinch. But store-bought pesto sauces can also be, well, basic, leaving your palette wanting something with more pizzazz. There are plenty of delicious pesto options available, but even the best store-bought sauce pales in comparison to its homemade counterpart. 

Luckily, you can easily doctor any store-bought pesto with ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry, so you can dress up your meal in less time than it takes to boil the pasta. Adding some high quality, extra virgin olive oil will bring a deeper richness to a store-bought pesto, elevating it to a sauce on par with its true Italian origins. If you fancy a bit of heat, then crushed chili flakes will be a home run, bringing spice to your pesto sauce that no one will mistake for store-bought. And when you want to dial up the flavor, adding more garlic to a store-bought pesto is a surefire way to make your taste buds come alive, so break out the garlic crusher, smash some cloves, and get to mixing.  

Now that you've brought new life to your pesto, it's time to put it to good use creating epic meals. The sky is the limit when it comes to how you can use pesto sauce, with the boundaries of your imagination and your taste buds being the only thing stopping you. From sandwiches, like a rich but healthy pesto caprese panini, to burgers, pizza, and a delightful sauce for grilled chicken, pesto is a versatile sauce with myriad options for every meal of the day.

Bring your elevated pesto to the breakfast table by smearing it on a toasted slice of whole grain bread and topping it with a slice of cheese (Havarti pairs well with pesto), a slice of tomato, and a delicately fried egg. You can also go the Greek Italian fusion route by creating a delicate scramble that incorporates pesto and feta (which just happens to pair perfectly with the basil, garlic, oil, and pine nuts in a good pesto), resulting in a rich creamy plate of breakfast brilliance.

For a heartier meal, like lunch or dinner, you can break out your elevated pesto to create a unique take on a vegetarian lasagna. Simply spread the delicate pesto in between layers of pasta, ricotta cheese, and vegetables for a mouthwatering concoction that will smell as delicious as it tastes.