Hey pesto! It's time to take another look at this humble, herby sauce

When you think pesto, you likely think of basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan. But did you know that this classic version is actually just one type of pesto?

Well, it turns out the iconic green and pungent pasta dressing is actually more correctly known as pesto alla Genovese. While pesto itself is actually about how the dish is prepared, namely by crushing ingredients together to create a sauce. 

What goes into the final result is less important than the way it is prepared and can include any number of vegetable, herb, cheese and nut combinations crushed together and varying by season and region. 

So, let's try some of the different variations to change things up. 

The ingredients might vary, but the method is to grind it all up together for the best results. 

Pesto alla Genovese - basil, pine nuts and Parmesan

• 3 handfuls fresh basil, leaves torn

• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• 1 handful of pine nuts (toasted if you like)

• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• lemon juice, to taste

• salt and pepper, to taste

Method: 

1. Blitz all ingredients together until you have a chunky paste. Loosen with extra lemon and oil if needed.

2. Stir through hot pasta and serve. 

Roasted capsicum and cashew pesto

• Two red capsicums

• ¼ cup roasted cashews

• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley 

• 1 tsp garlic (use roasted for extra sweetness)

• ¼ cup feta

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice 

• ¼ cup olive oil 

Method: 

1. Roast your capsicums in a 200C oven or airfryer for 15minutes or until blistered. Place in a heat-proof bowl and cover with cling film and rest of 10 minutes, then peel the skin off and discard it, keeping the flesh. 

2. Blitz all ingredients together until you have a chunky paste. Loosen with extra lemon and oil if needed.

3. Stir through hot pasta and serve. 

Beetroot walnut pesto

• 1 cup cooked beetroot 

• ½ Tbsp crushed garlic 

• ½ cup walnuts

• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• drizzle of hot honey, to serve 

Method: 

1. Blitz all ingredients — except hot honey — together until you have a chunky paste. Loosen with extra lemon and oil if needed.

2. Stir through hot pasta, drizzle with hot honey and serve. 

Mint and almond pesto

• ¼ cup smoked almonds

• 2 cup mint leaves, stalks removed 

• ¼ cup parsley 

• ¼ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup warm water

• juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp garlic

• salt and pepper, to taste

• feta, crumbled, to garnish 

Method: 

1. Blitz all ingredients — except feta — together until you have a chunky paste. Loosen with extra lemon and oil if needed.

2. Stir through hot pasta, sprinkle with feta and serve. 

Black olive pesto

• 1 cup parsley, stalks removed

• 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives 

• 1 tsp garlic

• ½ cup freshly rated Parmesan

• ¼ cup almonds

• ¼ cup olive oil 

• salt and pepper, to taste

Method: 

1. Blitz all ingredients — except feta — together until you have a chunky paste. Loosen with extra lemon and oil if needed.

2. Stir through hot pasta and serve. 

Jane de Graaff is Today's kitchen expert, food writer and recipe developer and content creator for fun family recipes of all kinds.

Find all Jane's food adventures, tricks and tips on Instagram and TikTok