Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Pesto
This red pesto is made with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, nuts, and Parmesan cheese. It’s simple, but so flavorful.
I love this sun-dried tomato pesto with pasta, but it’s great as a spread for wraps and sandwiches, too. It’s so easy – just blend all of the ingredients!
Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil: I use the tomatoes and all of the oil they’re packed in.
- Almonds: I’ve used regular almonds for this recipe, but when I’m feeling fancy, I use Marcona almonds – they have buttery flavor that works great in this pesto.
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh basil leaves
- Red pepper flakes: This is optional, so if you don’t want some spicy heat in the pesto go ahead and leave it out.
- Olive oil
How to Make It
☑️ Blend
Place everything but the olive oil in a food processor. Pulse a few times to break it all down so it’s combined.
While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil. That’s it! I like this pesto thick with a lot of texture, but you can thin it with more olive oil if you want a smoother texture.
More Homemade Pesto Recipes
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Pesto
This sun-dried tomato pesto is a quick sauce recipe that’s great with pasta, roasted or grilled veggies, or add it to soup or other pasta sauces for a punch of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups 1x
- Category: Sauces
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 (8.5-oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 6 large basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, almonds, cheese, garlic, basil, and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Blend until the mixture is well combined.
- With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil. If you prefer a thinner sauce, add up to a ¼ cup more of oil.
Notes
Store the pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. It will also keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
The pesto is great on it’s own tossed with hot pasta. I’ve also used it as a sauce for roasted veggies like potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli. Once the vegetables are roasted, toss them in the pesto for pop of flavor. I also like to add a spoonful of pesto to soups and sauces.
You can switch up the nuts and herbs in this recipe. Try using pine nuts or walnuts instead of almonds. Fresh parsley or a mix of parsley and basil is great, too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 252
- Sugar: 15.5g
- Sodium: 99.8mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 2.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24.9g
- Fiber: 6.1g
- Protein: 8.9g
- Cholesterol: 2.4mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Other Pasta Sauce Recipes to Try
Happy cooking,
