Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is a fun and delicious twist on the traditional pesto recipe.
Made with just a handful of ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and adds the most amazing flavor to your favorite pasta, pizza, bruschetta, and more.
Keep a batch on hand for a last minute appetizer, or mix it up in no time for a quick, easy, and flavor-packed dinner. No matter how you use it, you’re sure to LOVE how easy, versatile and delicious this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is!
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.
I’ve always been a pesto fan, and if you’ve ever tried Basil Pesto you know just how much flavor it adds to any dish. It’s one of my all time favorites! And there are so many variations on pesto you can try, but there’s something about this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto that’s 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, on pizza, as part of a cheese board, and even mixed into roasted veggies. And to be honest? I could totally eat it by the spoonful.
Best of all, it’s one of the easiest recipes to make. All you need is 5 minutes and a food processor and you’re good to go. And while you’re at it? You might want to just make a double batch. It’ll go quickly.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS RECIPE?
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese
- Pine nuts
- Garlic
- Olive oil
HOW DO YOU MAKE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO?
- In a large food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
- With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
WHAT IS PESTO?
Pesto is an Italian sauce that originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria, Italy. Traditional pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and salt. The word pesto is derived from the Italian pestare, which means to pound or to crush.
WHAT ARE SOME VARIATIONS ON TRADITIONAL PESTO?
- Use any type of leafy green in place of basil. Some good options are mint, 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.
HOW DO YOU USE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO IN A RECIPE?
- Add it to your favorite pasta
- Use it in place of pizza sauce
- Combine it with fresh basil and your favorite cheese in a stuffed chicken recipe
- Spread it on garlic bread or bruschetta
- Add it to a cheese board
- Use it as a dip for crackers or pita chips
HOW DO YOU STORE IT?
Pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week OR in the freezer for 3-4 months.
CAN YOU MAKE IT WITHOUT A FOOD PROCESSOR?
If you don’t have a food processor, you can also use a high-powered blender to make pesto.
IF YOU LOVE PESTO, HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE WAYS TO USE IT:
- Cheesy Pesto Stuffed Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Pasta
- Cheesy Pesto Artichoke Dip
- Sheet Pan Pesto Chicken
- Pesto Chicken Salad
- Garden Vegetable Pesto Pizza
- Parmesan Pesto Deviled Eggs
- Pesto Chicken Flatbread
- White Bean Pesto Soup
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is a fun and delicious twist on the traditional pesto recipe.Made with just a handful of ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and adds the most amazing flavor to your favorite pasta, pizza, bruschetta, and more. Keep a batch on hand for a last minute appetizer, or mix it up in no time for a quick, easy, and flavor-packed dinner. No matter how you use it, you're sure to LOVE how easy, versatile and delicious this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is!
Ingredients
- 1 (8.5 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 c. fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 c. pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. salt
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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 212mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is a fun and delicious twist on the traditional pesto recipe. Made with just a handful of ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly and adds the most amazing flavor to your favorite pasta, pizza, bruschetta, and more. Keep a batch on hand for a last minute appetizer, or mix it up in no time for a quick, easy, and flavor-packed dinner. No matter how you use it, you’re sure to LOVE how easy, versatile and delicious this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is!
Tayler Ross says
My family loves pesto, and this sun dried tomato pesto looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
Demeter says
I love this twist on the traditional pesto. Such a fun way to change things up.
Sara Welch says
What a delicious and savory sauce! Can think of so many recipes I can use this with! Delicious!
Kim Seghers says
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.
Kimberly says
This is soooooo good, I want to spread it on everything!
Melanie Bauer says
Sounds spectacular! Love how versatile this recipe is, so delicious and super easy to make!
Allyson Zea says
I could eat this on everything, it’s sooooo good!!!
Mindy says
Can’t wait to make this. Shouldn’t this last more than a week in the refrigerator, as everything is in oil?
Kate says
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!
Cathy Trochelman says
I have not tried to freeze it, but I think it would work fine!
Sandy says
I am using tomatoes that I dried in my oven. They are not packed in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks!
Cathy Trochelman says
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!
M Moreland says
This was soooooo good.
Jean says
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.
Sandy Manciocchi says
I am using tomatoes that I dried in my oven. They are not packed in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks!
Cathy Trochelman says
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!
Sandy Manciocchi says
I have tomatoes that I dried in my oven. Not in oil. How much olive oil should I use? Thanks.
Cathy Trochelman says
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!