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.

ingredients for the pesto in a food processor.

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.

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Author: April Anderson

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 10

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.