Pesto

What is it?

Traditional Genovese pesto is just basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, and olive oil. We think of pesto more as a general condiment and formula, not a set recipe: a loose blend of greens or herbs, some kind of nut or seed, alliums, olive oil, and something salty. From there, it’s endlessly adaptable.

Use it to clean out your fridge: wilting herbs, leftover greens, half-open bags of nuts.
It can be smooth or chunky, bright or earthy, cheesy or dairy-free.

Whether you make it yourself or grab a pre-made jar, pesto is really about having a saucy flavor booster on hand.

What’s its flavor?

Taste: Mildly salty, savory, lightly bitter, depending on the greens

Aroma: Nutty, herbaceous, garlicky

Texture: Unctuous, anywhere from coarse to creamy

Color: Adds green vibrancy

Human: Although strict traditional versions exist, pesto has become a universal sauce with versatile applications beyond Italian cooking

Why should you make some?

Pesto is one of the highest-effort-to-reward ratios in cooking. A 5-minute blitz turns scraps into a ready-to-use sauce (check out our framework here)

It instantly upgrades simple food: pasta, eggs, grilled meat, roasted veggies. It works hot or cold, as a sauce, spread, or finishing touch.

Storage: Pesto keeps well in the fridge for a week, or frozen for months in small portions. spoon it into ice cube trays or flatten in zip-top bags and break off chunks as needed.

What all can you use it on?

Toss with hot pasta and pasta water for an instant sauce
Spread on sandwiches, wraps, or grilled cheese
Spoon over roasted vegetables, chicken, fish, or steak
Stir into rice, grains, or beans
Mix with breadcrumbs to crust proteins with
Swirl into soups, eggs, or yogurt for a quick sauce

Check these out & more on our app.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK ✅

A sandwich for spring & summer

Of course, you can use pesto to throw together quick weeknight pastas. But we also use it as a condiment to bring color and vibrancy to sandwiches as the weather warms up, like the one pictured here.

Check out this focaccia turkey sandwich on the website, or remix the recipe to make it your own on the Cook Well app:

Let’s Cook!

READER Q&A 🧠

Fluffy pancakes

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Question: “How do you make pancakes fluffy instead of flat?” - Harrison D.

Answer: Fluffy pancakes come from thick batter + leavening agents, plus a few other tactics you can try:

1) Thicker batter

A slightly thicker batter spreads less on the pan, giving you height instead of wide, thin cakes. Use less liquid when mixing your batter.

2) Boost the leavening

Make sure your baking powder is fresh, and use slightly more than the recipe might call for.

A combo of baking powder + baking soda (with something acidic like buttermilk or yogurt to activate the soda) gives an even better rise.

For even more bonus points, try adding yeast to the mix for yet another layer of air bubbles (you’ll have to budget for fermentation/proofing time, though).

3) Use egg whites strategically

For maximum fluff, whip the egg whites separately and fold them in. This traps air and creates a lighter texture. It’s more work and clean up, but can yield almost soufflé-like pancakes (the jiggly, towering Japanese-style pancakes use this method too).

4) Control the shape

Try the Golden Diner-style one-pan method: cook in a small, rounded nonstick pan so the batter sets upward instead of spreading flat like it would on a wide griddle.

The bigger picture: Pancakes are the ultimate dish to play with the variables and practice experimentation. Check out Ethan’s pancake video investigation, website recipe, or for app users, we have a framework loaded there for you to remix and document versions easily.

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