These pestos center on leafy greens, smoky red peppers, and other ingredients that complement cool-weather fare. The yields are small because they taste best when freshly made (don't worry, whipping one up is easy).

A good pesto perks up pasta, sandwiches, soup, and salad. Make your own fresh sauce with these healthy varieties, including basil, spinach, almond, and garlic-cilantro pesto.

The peppery bite of broccoli rabe mellows when joined by Parmesan, pine nuts, and red-pepper flakes. Plus, you get a solid serving of vegetables in a comforting bowl of pasta.

It's easy to go green with herb-heavy pestos, but what about other colorful produce? This raw carrot and pistachio blend was an instant hit in the Whole Living test kitchen. You could also thin it with lemon juice and olive oil and use as a salad dressing.

When roasting sweet potatoes, leave the skins on for greater nutrition (and better texture). High heat muddies the fresh flavors of the herbs and lemon zest in pesto, so top it on just before serving.

Break your mayonnaise habit by slathering this fiery spread on sandwiches. Roasting brings out the sweetness of bell peppers, and chipotle pepper turns up the smoky-spicy quotient. Swap it for salsa the next time you make tacos, burritos, or rice and beans.

Top this healthy pasta with a pesto made from pumpkin seeds, spinach, parsley, and chives.

Serve this easy pesto as a sauce for pasta, fish, or chicken or as a spread on crackers. You can also use it as pizza sauce, in place of traditional red sauce. Because cilantro quickly loses its flavor and becomes harsh-tasting, use it shortly after buying.

Top this vegetarian salad with a pesto made from broccoli, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan.

Add a flavorful touch to this omega-3-rich snack with this spinach pesto.

You can use this creamy, pumped-up pesto to also top eggs, beans, and whole grains.

This natural recipe was created with flexibility in mind, and is a great way to use up leftover ingredients.

This spinach pesto can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for two to three days. Serve it over whole-wheat pasta.

Fill these chicken spirals with fresh almond-mint pesto.

Generously spread slimmed-down parsley pesto onto crusty sourdough or swirl it into another dish, like chicken soup.

This delightful variation on traditional pesto calls for mango, which adds moisture, so little oil is needed. It can be combined with almost any main course, especially pasta and grilled fish, or used as a dip for vegetables and chips. If you like it spicier, leave in the jalapeno seeds.

Try a healthy twist on easy-to-make pasta sauce.

Serve this arugula pesto on hot smoked salmon for a delicious main course.

Fashioned after a margherita pizza, this piadina features vegetables and oozy cheese topped with a basil pesto.

Complement your homemade whole-wheat pizza with this herb garden pesto.