Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Sun-dried tomato pesto is a uniquely tangy, herby, and nutty pesto sauce that’s wonderfully versatile. Toss it into pasta, spoon over grilled meat or vegetables, slather on pizza, spread on sandwiches or burgers, and dollop on top of soups and stews.

This sun-dried tomato pesto is the bold and saucy cousin to traditional basil pesto. It seriously elevates simple dishes from pasta to pizza. I usually pull this sauce out during the colder winter months and tweak it based on what ingredients I can get my hands on.

Ingredients

• Sun-dried tomatoes – we prefer to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil because they are softer and blend more easily. We have not tried making this recipe with tomatoes in resealable pouches (not in oil). They give a unique tangy flavor to this sauce.
• Fresh herbs – fresh basil and parsley keep this sauce incredibly fresh and flavorful.
• Garlic – for some sharpness.
• Parmesan – nutty, salty, cheesy addition that boots the flavor of this pesto.
• Walnuts – walnuts give this pesto a little extra heartiness. You can swap with other nuts, like almonds or pine nuts.
• Extra virgin olive oil – to round out the flavor and to lend some healthy plant-based fats to this pesto.
• Lemon – brings a little brightness and citrus tang to this sauce.

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Combine all of the pesto ingredients, except for the olive oil, in the food processor. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute. As the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the top. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl. Serve with fresh pasta.

How to Store Pesto

Store this pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It does not last much longer, due to the use of fresh herbs.

We have not tried freezing this pesto. Masterclass recommends freezing pesto in ice cube trays and then transferring them to a freezer bag for long-term storage. You can also freeze in small batches in a glass jar.

What to Pair With Pesto

• Pasta – fresh spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or gnocchi
• Pizza/flatbreads – swap out regular red sauce with this pesto or drizzle over finished pizza for some extra pizzazz.
• Meat – spoon over grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or pork chops. Or try out our sun-dried tomato chicken scallopini
• Vegetables – dip or drizzle over roasted asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, carrots, or vegetable of choice.
• Sandwiches/burgers – spread over sandwich bread or burger buns to take your sandwich or burger to the next level.
• Burritos/quesadillas – smother your favorite breakfast or dinner burrito or quesadilla.
• Lasagna/baked pasta – take your lasagna or baked pasta, liked baked ziti, to the next level.
• Soups/stews/chilis – dollop on soup, stew, or chili for some extra oomph!

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