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Sun Dried Tomato Pesto is a delicious twist on traditional pesto. Made with just a handful of ingredients, it comes together quickly and adds the most amazing flavor to your favorite pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and more!
Have you ever ordered a meal at one of your favorite restaurants and immediately known you NEEDED to re-create it? That’s exactly what happened with this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto.
If you’ve ever tried basil pesto, you know just how much flavor it adds to any dish. The traditional recipe is made with basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and salt… and it’s one of my all time favorites! But when I tried this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (or “Red Pesto”) there was something extra. Extra flavorful. Extra addictive. Extra amazing.
It’s packed with sun dried tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese…..and it makes the best addition to so many meals. We love it in pasta salads, on pizza, as part of a cheese board, and even mixed into roasted veggies. Best of all, it’s one of the easiest recipes to make!
what you’ll need for this pesto recipe
Sun dried tomatoes – I used one 8.5 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil as the starting point for this recipe. If you have dehydrated sun dried tomatoes, rehydrate them in extra virgin olive oil before using them.
Fresh basil – I added 1 cup fresh basil leaves to blend with the sun dried tomatoes.
Parmesan cheese – I used 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for flavor and texture.
Pine nuts – I used 1/4 cup pine nuts, also for flavor and texture.
Garlic – I added 3 fresh garlic cloves for a garlicky zip. Feel free to add more or less to taste.
Salt – I added about 3/4 teaspoon salt to bring out all the flavors. You can add anywhere between 1/2 – 1 teaspoon.
Olive oil – Finally, I used 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil to give the pesto the right consistency.
how to make sun dried tomato pesto
Combine everything except the olive oil. In a large food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
Add the olive oil. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified and/or until you reach your desired consistency. If you con’t have a food processor, you can also use a high powered blender.
Use or store. Use immediately or store in a jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also freeze pesto in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months.
Recipe Variations
- Use any type of leafy green in place of basil (parsley, cilantro, spinach, arugula or kale)
- Swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or any of your favorite nuts
- Switch up the flavor by adding artichokes, olives, roasted red peppers, eggplant, or avocado
- Give it a fresh twist by adding lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, or even a splash of white wine.
- Give it a kick by adding crushed red pepper flakes
- Add nutritional yeast for a pop of protein
how to use sun dried tomato pesto in a recipe
- Add it to your favorite pasta like this Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Use it as a spread on your favorite sandwiches like this Italian Party Sub
- Use it in place of pizza sauce or on this Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Flatbread
- Combine it with fresh basil and your favorite cheese in a stuffed chicken recipe
- Spread it on garlic bread or bruschetta
- Add it to an antipasto platter
- Use it as a dip for crackers or pita chips
- Use it in a dip like this Cheesy Pesto Artichoke Dip
- Use it to flavor a sheet pan meal like this Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
- 8.5 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes in oil, basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and salt.
- While food processor is running, slowly add olive oil until emulsified (*for a thinner consistency, add additional oil.)
- Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
My family loves pesto, and this sun dried tomato pesto looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
I love this twist on the traditional pesto. Such a fun way to change things up.
What a delicious and savory sauce! Can think of so many recipes I can use this with! Delicious!
I honestly I have to say I have never made pesto before but, this recipe looks wonderful. I think I’ll give it a try.
This is soooooo good, I want to spread it on everything!
Sounds spectacular! Love how versatile this recipe is, so delicious and super easy to make!
I could eat this on everything, it’s sooooo good!!!
Can’t wait to make this. Shouldn’t this last more than a week in the refrigerator, as everything is in oil?
Hi Cathy!
I just made a triple batch of this with a ton of sundried tomatoes I discovered I had (quarantine shopping?) this and it’s delicious. I made a couple of minor changes – I was about a cup shy of the fresh basil, so I substituted some baby arugula that I needed to us up. I also used about 1/2 C less olive oil.
My question is, do you know if this can be frozen? I’ve frozen basil pesto with no problem at all, so I’m assuming this would be fine. Just wondering if you’ve tried it?
Thank you!
I have not tried to freeze it, but I think it would work fine!
I am using tomatoes that I dried in my oven. They are not packed in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks!
In an 8.5 ounce jar I don’t imagine there’s much more than 2-3 Tablespoons of oil. I would start with substituting 2 and check the consistency… you can always add a bit more if it seems dry. Hope this helps!
This was soooooo good.
It’s the week before Christmas and I am trying to work off the freezer. I found a bag of raviolis and a container of sun-dried tomato pesto from a harvest box that we receive. I did not have any ready made sauce. The sun-dried tomato pesto was really good in lieu of a heavy sauce. I had to find a recipe and yours sounds and looks very close to the one we had. And your suggestion of putting it on pizza sounds very good–will try. Thank you.
I am using tomatoes that I dried in my oven. They are not packed in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks!
In an 8.5 ounce jar I don’t imagine there’s much more than 2-3 Tablespoons of oil. I would start with substituting 2 and check the consistency… you can always add a bit more if it seems dry. Hope this helps!
I have tomatoes that I dried in my oven. Not in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks.
In an 8.5 ounce jar I don’t imagine there’s much more than 2-3 Tablespoons of oil. I would start with substituting 2 and check the consistency… you can always add a bit more if it seems dry. Hope this helps!
I love this recipe! I add a splash of balsamic vinegar and it makes it so good!!