1Most people are familiar with classic Italian pesto, a green sauce made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and olive oil. But Leslie Lennox, founder of the award-winning artisanal pesto company Hope's Gardens, shows us that pesto need not be limited to its original ingredients--and that creative pestos can serve as building blocks for all manner of flavorful dishes, just like any good "mother sauce."

In Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce, Lennox introduces readers to a new way to think about pesto. In the right proportion, almost any combination of plants, garlic, nuts, cheese, seasoning, and oil can make a delicious sauce--especially when you're using what's on hand, what's local, and what's in season.

Lennox offers up several favorite pesto recipes, and then takes these simple sauces a step further. They serve as the building blocks for 97 kitchen-tested recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more. From risotto and ramen to chicken fajitas and swordfish kebabs, everything tastes better with pesto!