Suggestions for use: Trader Joe's Pesto

[jjsooner73]

OK all of you Trader Joe's fans. My friend bought some of their pesto and just added it to pasta. She said it was way to strong (and she loves pesto). Should she have diluted it? With?
I told her I'd check to see how others use it. I've never tried it myself-no TJ's in these parts-but I'm sure there are plenty of you who have.

So, give me your suggestions on how you use it.
TIA!

[Middydd]

My suggestion won't be any use if she wants to put it on pasta, but I love pesto stirred into sour cream to make a great dip for vegetables or pita chips.

[memartha]

I was going to say, I love a dab of pesto on warm cooked green beans or potatoes as the seasoning.

[jjsooner73]

Do you know how 'strong' their pesto is? Does it need to be diluted? She likes pesto with pasta, but this didn't taste right. Or it could be that TJ's pesto just isn't very good.

She's also open to other suggestions.

Some of my favorites--pesto as a pizza sauce instead of marinara.
A bit of pesto stirred into tomato soup.
Pesto mixed in with spaghetti sauce.

[mobear]

Pesto is also good as a marinade or spread on chicken sandwiches.

[blazedog]

If it is the stuff I'm thinking about it is quite strong and meant to be used as a condiment rather than straight from the container as a sauce.

I've seen some good recipes using pesto with chiken -- spread on pounded breasts and sprinkled with other ingredients and then done as a roulade.

[seannasad2k]

As nmentioned above...it may just need to be diluted. I've never had TJ's pesto...but usually when I use a commercial pesto on pasta, I thin it out with a little of the pasta water before I mix it into the pasta.

[kjh01]

I love to stir pesto into drained,rinsed cannellini beans as a side dish or as an addition to an antipasto platter.

[Wendy w]

Originally posted by Middydd
My suggestion won't be any use if she wants to put it on pasta, but I love pesto stirred into sour cream to make a great dip for vegetables or pita chips.

I've done the same thing but with plain yogurt to use as a dip on on baked potatoes. It is also great on pizza!

[leahtn]

I mix pesto with marinara as a great pasta sauce.

[NewMrsG]

Originally posted by Middydd
My suggestion won't be any use if she wants to put it on pasta, but I love pesto stirred into sour cream to make a great dip for vegetables or pita chips.

I do this! But I use whipped cream cheese instead of sour cream.

[Bawstinn]

Mixed with some low fat mayo and spread on a turkey and cheese sandwich. I have also slightly "grilled" the sandwich to heat and melt the cheese.

Maria

[layla14]

I haven't used the Trader Joe's pesto sauce before. But I can tell you that with other similar sauces or pesto(s), a little goes a LONG way. If I am having pesto only as the sauce i usually add some of the pasta cooking water to help break it down a little. You could also make a creamy sauce and use some milk.

Maura

[Cayennecuervo]

TJ's pesto is a staple in my fridge and a little does go along way. I will add 1 tablespoon into a ziploc bag with a boneless skinless chicken breast and let it "marinade" for 30 min and then grill it. I also do the same thing with salmon steaks.