It's Almost Too Easy To Transform Pesto Into Salad Dressing

Originating in Genoa, Italy, pesto is one of the world's most popular pasta sauces. The official recipe (yes, there's an official one) calls for basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Sardo cheese, garlic, coarse salt, and extra-virgin olive oil. It's fairly easy to make and it only takes about five minutes, but it's also available in pretty much any supermarket in the U.S. (Though the cool thing about making your own is that you can make it nut-free, and not worry about allergies.)

As much as we love a fresh, vegetal batch of pesto, the other side of that coin is that it usually only lasts around three days after it's open before it starts losing its flavor. Instead of throwing away the sauce toward the end of that window, you can repurpose it into a delicious salad dressing. 

You're not alone if you've never tried — or heard of— this sauce, which is part of what makes it exciting. Who doesn't love getting to try something new, or dazzling dinner guests with an unexpected twist on a familiar ingredient? But, a word of warning: If you serve this, you'll likely have everyone trying to bend your ear for the recipe.

To turn pesto into a salad dressing all you have to do is spread the sauce in a small bowl, and add the juice from half a lemon. Pour a stream of olive oil into the mix, then stir it together until the texture is less dense. For better results, add salt and pepper to taste. You can also use condiments like paprika to add a kick to your dressing. Always do a taste test before serving or storing, since you might want to add more oil or spices. Once you're satisfied with the taste, you can use the dressing right away, or put it into a glass container, and store it in the fridge.

The great thing about this recipe is that it lasts a bit longer than pure pesto, as it can be stored for up to a week. Again, you can make it with pesto that is a couple of days old, and no longer great as a pasta sauce. Just keep in mind that if you do this, you'll probably want to use it up a bit faster. 

Fresh pesto is perfectly suitable as well, of course. It's also possible to make the dressing with store-bought or homemade pesto. Both turn out great, so it really depends more on your personal preference. This delicious pesto dressing might not (yet) be one of America's favorite salad dressings, but it might become one of yours. You won't know until you try.