Pesto is always more than meets the eye, beyond the classic basil experience blended with garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil. There is a universe of options available when it comes to using this delightful sauce, from spreading it on bread, slathering on pasta, dotting on a pizza crust, to using it as a tantalizing dip.

Pesto is not simply a sauce but a medium for creative culinary expression, interchangeable with a diversity of herbs like oregano, parsley, and mint and various greens. The cheese might be optional in some formulations, and the pine nuts might give way to an alternate nut, or even a different crunch such as roasted chickpeas or sunflower seeds.

Starting off the day with a pesto frittata, or ending with a berry granita draped in a pesto sweetened with honey and touched with vanilla, displays the real flexibility of pesto. The classic pesto finds its roots in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy, as stated by Victor Protasio. Crushed together in a mortar and pestle, the arrangement of basil, garlic, and pine nuts gives rise to a smooth, strong basil pesto. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or a mixture of the two create perfect accompaniments.

Greg Dupree presents a vibrant pesto, magically created with a mix of nutty pistachios, cool mint, fiery ginger and chile, fresh lime zest, and salty Pecorino Romano cheese, all blended together in a bowl sans a food processor. Current favorite in 2020, according to F&W Best New Chef Douglass Williams, is nut-free basil pesto which incorporates a different nutty element - roasted chickpeas instead of pine nuts. With its creamy, satisfying texture and a hint of heat from fresh serrano chiles, this could well be the next major trend.

From pasta dishes to breads, salads to desserts, there is a pesto for every palate. Renowned food writer Colu Henry's Sicilian-inspired pesto is a contender to the traditional basil pesto. At the heart of this vibrant sauce lie bite-sized tomatoes, while blanched almonds creatively replace pine nuts.

Chef Johanne Killen uses starchy pasta water to convert fresh parsley-basil pesto into an exceptional sauce that sticks to each pasta strand. Subtly tangy berry granita featuring vanilla-flecked, honey-sweetened pesto is a refreshing summer treat by Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson.

Adding zucchini into the mix, allows for a unique pesto, perfect for the summer months. Combining zucchini with mint, parsley, almonds, garlic, and Parmesan in a food processor gives an endearing yet different take on the traditional sauce.

Pesto continues to evolve as chefs experiment and create ambitious and delectable versions of this much-loved sauce, from pasta and pizza feasts to heart-warming main courses and surprisingly refreshing desserts. So, the next time you think pesto, don't limit yourself - remember, pesto is as versatile as your imagination allows.