Name: Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes; ¾ cup packed stemmed fresh parsley; ½ cup pine nuts; 2 medium shallots; 1 garlic clove; ¼ teaspoon salt; Freshly ground pepper (to taste); ½ cup olive oil (or to taste); 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

One of my favorite condiments ever, this sun-dried tomato pesto (or paste) is incredibly easy to make, lasts for a week, and can be ready in 15 minutes! Get the pasta going and enjoy a great meal in less than thirty minutes.

Spoon with sun dried tomato pesto over glass jar.

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A unique pesto that is incredibly delicious

Like most people, I love having easy pasta recipes on a weekday or as an easy weekend lunch.

A jar of this sun-dried tomato pesto solves that issue every time. So let me tell you more about it because it is as versatile as it is delicious.

If you like easy condiments, prepare for this sun-dried tomato and pine nut pesto.

Oh my, it's just so good! You can even use it for the sun-dried tomato dip.

Uses for sun-dried tomato pesto

Pasta: the most traditional way of having pesto. Just boil your favorite dry pasta al dente, throw in a few spoonfuls of this tomato pesto, a few gratings of parmesan cheese, and that's it. Dinner's ready. Any pasta works, though I like short intricate shapes, such as fusilli, that have more surface for the pesto (or any sauce) to adhere to.
Pizza: I first used this pesto as a base for pizza with goat cheese. So good! It was served as an appetizer. I wouldn't recommend eating your regular Sunday night pizza with this pesto alone. It would be too heavy. But, a spoonful in your regular pizza sauce will add a kick to it.
Bruschetta: as an appetizer, nothing beats a good bruschetta, which is basically stuff on toast. The one above is served with a layer of this pesto and crumbled goat cheese on walnut bread.
Dips: you can make a fast dip by mixing sun-dried tomato pesto with cream cheese. Serve it with breadsticks or as part of a charcuterie board.
Sauce: use it as a sauce for grilled chicken, even better in leftover chicken sandwiches.

Ingredient list

Sun-dried tomatoes: they are the star of the recipe, of course. I use them dried (as opposed to in oil or water) and hydrate them myself, usually with boiling water and sometimes white wine that I heat in the microwave.
Pine nuts: they're usually found in specialty stores and online. They tend to be expensive compared to other nuts and are not commonly used. You can substitute them for walnuts.
Shallots: there is no substitution for this flavorful ingredient, but you can mix garlic and onion if you can't find shallots.
Fresh parsley.
Olive oil: use the best you can afford, consider its strength, and adapt it to your palate. I love very strong ones, but not everyone does.

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Wooden table with ingredients for sun dried tomato pesto including shallots, pine nuts, and parsley.

About sun-dried tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are fresh, ripe tomatoes cut in half and dried in the sun.

Or at least that's the way it's done in many countries. They lose all their water content, concentrating and intensifying their flavor.

Make sure you chop them to aid in the mixing. If you leave them whole, the immersion mixer or blender might not break them down enough.

Keeping them in olive oil is a great way. I almost always have a jar in the refrigerator. Spice it up with peeled garlic cloves, some red pepper flakes, or herbs.

Several sun-dried tomatoes on grey granite surface.

What are pine nuts?

Also known as pignoli (their Italian name) I love them but they are the sophisticated sister in the nut group.

They are creamy and sweet, but can also have the slightest bitter undertone sometimes. They are fabulous with pasta and in pestos.

Other nuts: I sometimes use walnuts too which are more easily available. The pesto is amazing with either.

Jar with sun-dried tomato pesto and olive oil. Top view.

Kitchen Notes

Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
Tomatoes: be sure to hydrate them well and chop them before mixing.
Nuts: use pine nuts or walnuts. Be very careful if you're toasting them, especially pine nuts, as they can burn in seconds. Always keep them in the fridge or the freezer (my choice). They can turn bitter and give you what is called pine nut mouth, a situation you don't want to get into. This is avoidable if you buy fresh nuts from reliable sources and keep them frozen. This goes for all nuts, not only pine nuts.
Storage: it keeps well for a week at least. A glass jar with a tight lid works best. I use old marmalade or mason jars. And make sure it has a thin layer of olive oil on the top (image above). This will prevent it from oxidizing and darkening. If that happens, remove that top layer with a spoon; you will see bright red beneath the pesto (similar to what happens with guacamole).

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Barely adapted from Bon Appetit, August 1994

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