Pesto is one of my all-time favorite pasta sauces, and so I am always looking for new and innovative ways to spruce up my pesto pasta dishes. Today I share with you a classic spinach pesto pasta, elevated to a beautiful side dish by adding simple sautéed mushrooms!

Store-bought pesto just is not the same as homemade pesto. That is just a fact. And while I do prefer the Kirkland brand pesto at Costco, I definitely prefer to make homemade pesto if I have the time. The easiest thing to do is to make a big double or triple batch and then freeze the extra for future use. You can freeze it in a Tupperware container if you plan on using a large amount at once (for big family/friend gatherings) or you can freeze it in an ice cube tray. This is a great trick if you need one or two person serving sizes of pesto: fill your ice cube tray with pesto in each “ice cube slot.” Once frozen, remove the pesto cubes and place in a Ziploc freezer bag. Then you can just remove however many cubes you need at a time and throw them right into your pasta or other dish. So simple!

One of my favorite things to do with homemade pesto is to add other types of cheeses. I am especially fond of adding cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese because it gives the pesto an extra creamy texture and a tangy note.

Pairing it with the sautéed mushrooms gives this dish a perfect “winter side dish” vibe, which I love. Here I just used the “gourmet blend” of mushrooms that is sold at my local grocery store, but you can really use whatever type of mushrooms you prefer.

Now it’s your turn!

What is your favorite way to “spruce up” your pesto? Share with me by commenting below!