Use that jar of sundried tomatoes I know you have to make this SUPER easy pesto. It’s as easy as blitzing up six cupboard staples into the most delicious injection of flavour around, perfect for tossing through pasta, dolloping onto salads or as a topper for toast.
Whenever I think of pesto, I automatically think of basil pesto. That lovely, vibrant and fragrant sauce is a forever favourite, but this sun-dried tomato version gives it a serious run for its money.
It’s deeper and richer in flavour than basil pesto, and I think it’s more versatile. Adding a dollop to bolognese or meat sauces while cooking delivers an incredible umami boost of flavour, or toss with tomatoes before roasting to boost their flavour even more.
It takes about 5 minutes to make, there’s no chopping involved, it freezes beautifully and you’ll find yourself reaching for it constantly once you have it in your fridge.
Ingredients
All you need are SIX ingredients, and you probably have them already.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. I’m actually using GORGEOUS sun-dried tomatoes I picked up in Calabria in Italy, which aren’t packed in oil. If you’re using the ones in oil (which I would normally use as I tend to always have a jar on hand), reduce the amount of olive oil you add to 1/3 cup.
- Almonds. Roasted almonds give a better depth of flavour, or you could use pine nuts, cashews or hazelnuts, or sunflower or pumpkin (pepita) seeds.
- Lemon. Ideally, use a fresh lemon if you can, otherwise, bottled lemon juice will work.
- Parmesan. Pecorino or grada Padano work well too, and there’s no need to grate it first.
How to make it
Add everything except the olive oil to the bowl of a food processor, blender or food chopper. Blitz until everything is roughly chopped and starting to form a chunky paste. Scrape down the sides, then add the olive oil and blitz again for a couple of minutes, until a thick pesto forms.
If you’re using a food processor, you can drizzle in the olive oil while it’s blending, to create a more emulsified pesto. Transfer to a clean glass jar or container and store in the fridge for about 1 week.
PRO TIP: You can play around with the amount of olive oil, based on the consistency you prefer in pesto. If you’d like it looser, add more oil, and if you prefer a chunkier texture, reduce the amount slightly.
Got a question?
It keeps well for about 1 week in the fridge, stored in a clean glass jar or container. You might find the olive oil solidifies in the fridge, but after sitting at room temperature for a few minutes it will start to liquefy again. You can also freeze the pesto for up to 3 months – a great hack is to freeze it in ice cube trays, so you can easily pop out a portion to use.
You could use pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecan, sunflower seeds or pumpkin (pepita) seeds. Toast them first for better flavour.
The possibilities are endless! Toss through pasta for a quick and easy weeknight meal, dollop over grilled meat or fish, and use as a dressing for salads, switch out basil pesto in this orzo pesto salad, pesto potato salad or pesto marinated olives, mix through creamy hummus or labneh, use as a topper for your favourite dip, or as a spread on sandwiches, crostini or bruschetta. Or, use it as a dip itself with fresh focaccia or rosemary parmesan bread.
Like this recipe? Here are more quick sauces
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Easy, 6 Ingredient Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup roasted almonds
- 30g/1oz parmesan
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Blitz the first five ingredients. Add 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup roasted almonds, the parmesan (no need to grate it!), the zest of your lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor, high high-powered blender or food chopper. Blitz for a minute. You should be left with a chunky paste.
- Add the oil. Pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, then blitz again for a minute or two, until a thick sauce forms. If you prefer a looser pesto, you can add a little more oil.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The pesto keeps well for about 1 week in the fridge, stored in a clean jar or container. It also freezes well (up to 3 months). I like to freeze it in ice cube trays so it’s easy to pop a portion out to use.
INGREDIENT NOTES: I’m using sun-dried tomatoes that aren’t in oil here, so if you’re using the ones in oil, reduce the amount of olive oil you use to 1/3 cup. You can play around with the quantity of olive oil further if you like – add more oil for a runnier pesto, and use less for one that’s chunky and thick. Swap almonds for cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin (pepita) seeds.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Your possibilities are endless here. Toss through pasta, use as a salad dressing, swap basil pesto for it in this orzo pesto salad, pesto potatoes or pesto marinated olives, stir through hummus or labneh, use it as a topper for dips, a spread for sandwiches or bagels or drizzle over roasted vegetables.
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: dips
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
Keywords: red pesto, pesto rosso
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