9 pasta pesto recipes

This was the side-dish my mother-in law made for Easter dinner, and my favorite. Freshly homemade pasta was mixed with basil pesto, sun-dried tomato, arugula and chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese. It was so delicious and flavorful. Here it is...

Pasta with pesto and grilled chicken: linguine tossed with jarred or homemade pesto and charred chicken pieces. Quick 30-minute dinner, warm or room temperature.

Grilled shrimp with pesto pasta salad: chilled linguine tossed in homemade basil pesto with red and green peppers, topped with quick-grilled shrimp skewers. A summer entrée salad that works hot or cold.

Individual baked lasagnas layered with fresh pasta, crisp-tender asparagus, and a pesto-bechamel sauce, topped with golden breadcrumbs. A light, springy green lasagna baked in single gratin dishes.

Chilled pasta shells layered with basil pesto, spinach, Roma tomatoes, black olives, and shrimp. This make-ahead Italian pasta salad is a crowd-pleasing potluck star that only gets better as it sits.

Pasta and white bean salad with roasted red peppers, pesto, and light mayonnaise dressing. A quick, protein-packed cold salad that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Cajun-blackened sea scallops over farfalle tossed in cilantro walnut pesto, drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce. A showstopper seafood pasta with bold layered flavors.

Sausages Mediterranean style, a fast one-pan skillet of browned sausage with kidney beans, tomatoes, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. A hearty, sun-drenched supper over pasta or with crusty bread.

Authentic Italian potato gnocchi uses just three ingredients, hand-kneaded into soft pillows and rolled against fork tines for ridges. Tender pasta ready to sauce with brown butter, ragù, or pesto.