Sun dried tomato pesto recipe [Pesto Rosso] -The sane Maven

This delicious sundried tomato pesto is the perfect topping for pasta, pizza, sandwiches or even as a dip! It’s quick to make and ready in under 10 minutes!

Pesto season is upon us! While our basil is exploding in our garden, I turn into a pesto machine to stock up for the summer, fall, and winter months. But sometimes I get a little bored with my basic pesto recipe and want to change it up.

Enter: sun-dried tomato pesto! It’s a delicious twist on the traditional sundried tomato pesto. It will quickly become a favorite in your home – just like mine!

What is pesto rosso?

Pesto Rosso translates directly to “Red Pesto” and gets its name from the red color that sun-dried tomatoes give to the pesto. It originally comes from Sicily in southern Italy.

While basil pesto is a traditional pesto made with basil leaves, pesto rosso, also known as sundried tomato pesto, is a twist where you add sundried tomatoes to your traditional pesto for extra flavor.

Rather than substituting sundried tomatoes for basil at a 1:1 ratio, you actually use both (albeit a little less basil) and the flavor is both a little sweet and tangy.

Ingredients for sun-dried tomato pesto

• Sun dried tomatoes – You should opt for the oil-packed variety, as the air-dried, sun-dried tomatoes may not dissolve well for your pesto.
• basil – Be sure to use fresh basil leaves and remove any thick stems.
• Garlic cloves – Use fresh garlic cloves rather than jarred ones to taste.
• parmesan cheese – either pre-grated or freshly grated. If you are vegan, you can use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese.
• pine nuts – If you can’t find pine nuts or they are out of your budget, you can always use walnuts.
• lemon – Use a freshly squeezed lemon.
• olive oil – Try to use extra virgin olive oil if you have one. If you prefer a thinner consistency, you can add more.
• salt and pepper – Feel free to reduce salt levels if you are watching sodium levels.

Note: You will need a food processor for this recipe. You can also use a high-speed blender, but be careful not to over-blend.

How to prepare sun-dried tomato pesto

STEP 1: PROCESSING OF SUN DRIED TOMATOES

Remove sundried tomatoes from jar and place in food processor. Pulse multiple times to break them open.

STEP 2: PROCESS WITH ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

Place the basil, garlic cloves, parmesan, pine nuts (or walnuts), lemon juice, salt and pepper in the food processor and chop several times until it breaks up into pea-sized pieces.

STEP 3: ADD OLIVE OIL

With the food processor on, slowly add olive oil until you get a thick but slightly chunky paste. Add more olive oil for a thinner pesto.

STEP 4: SERVE!

How to serve sun-dried tomato pesto

pasta – My favorite way to eat this pesto! Just add it as a sauce to your favorite pasta.

Pizza – Use instead of tomato sauce for homemade pizza. May I suggest this tortilla pizza?

sandwich – Spread onto bread with your favorite sandwich toppings. I love this pesto with smoked turkey, spinach and Swiss cheese.

Chicken breast – as a marinade or stuffed with chicken

Dive – Enjoy this pesto as an easy dip and eat it with veggies or crackers.

Storage Instructions

In the refrigerator: Store your sun-dried tomato pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week.

In the freezer: Either store in a jar and freeze for up to 3 months or transfer pesto to a silicone ice tray and freeze for 4 hours. Remove from the shell and place in a ziplock bag to freeze for up to 3 months. Remove the pesto and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the countertop in the jar or bowl for several hours.

Can you make it vegan?

Absolutely! If you’re vegan or dairy-free, feel free to substitute nutritional yeast for the parmesan cheese for a vegan pesto.

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