Nothing screams Italy like a delicious homemade sundried tomato pesto. It’s one of my favourite toppings for pasta, possibly even my favourite when it’s made properly. It’s a fantastic vegetarian option, that just works well with anything you combine it with, whether it be pasta, vegetables, salads or bread. Get ready to experience the sweet intense flavours of the sundried tomatoes with the subtle flavours of the pine nuts, Parmesan and basil. I love this combination, but the beauty of this recipe lies in the fact that you can tweak it to your liking. In addition, if you omit the cheese element, you can create a delicious vegan pesto as well. What a way to celebrate Veganuary! How will you enjoy this delicious pesto?
Sundried tomato pesto
For those who are unfamiliar what pesto is, traditionally it is a sauce made up of crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The olive oil brings everything together. This is the traditional modern version of pesto called ‘Pesto alla Genovese’. Its origins are in Northern Italy in Genoa, the Liguaria region. Apart the from colour and the sweetness given by the tomatoes, the sundried tomato pesto is not so dissimilar from the traditional pesto.
History of pesto
Historians theorise that pesto goes as far back to the Ancient Roman times. The Ancient Romans used a very similar paste in their cuisune – ‘moretum’. The original recipe calls for crushed garlic, cheese, herbs, olive oil and vinegar. As you can see, it’s extremely similar to our modern version of pesto.
Also, did you know that during the Middle Ages a similar paste was given to seafarers and Ligurians? The version of pesto was called ‘agliata‘, which comprised mashed garlic and walnuts. Of course, over time there have been many variations of pesto. Luckily, the combination of using sundried tomatoes was introduced and sundried tomato pesto came into existence. Today, it’s one of the most common Italian pesto recipes that you can easily buy in supermarkets.
Do it yourself – how to make sundried tomatoes
By now you know that I am an advocate for doing everything from scratch! You can make your very own sundried tomatoes using your oven. However, you will need to do this on a free day when you are home and you can monitor what’s happening in the oven. Usually, the process of making sundried tomatoes in the oven can take hours! You can also use a dehydrator.
First, you will need to preheat the oven to roughly 95°C (200°F). The lower heat will allow the tomato to transform beautifully without losing any of the essential flavour. Once you have selected your tomatoes, cut them in half and squeeze out the seeds. Here is a handy trick. Fire roast the tomatoes first before you place them in the oven. The char will intensify the flavours even more.
Next place them on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Don’t forget to season generously with salt. Place the tray in the oven and wait until the tomatoes start to resemble the traditional look of sundried tomatoes. The tomato halves should shrink in size and take on the typical leathery texture. Just be patient, this is a lengthy process and can take hours and hours. Good and delicious things come to those who wait.
The best type of tomatoes for making sundried pesto from scratch are the Roma tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are medium-sized and oval in terms of shape. They have a low water content and contain only a small amount of seeds – perfect for sauce making. These are also the type of tomatoes you should use in quiches or sandwiches, as the latter won’t make everything runny or soggy.
Sundried tomatoes
If you aren’t too keen on making your own sundried tomatoes, you can simply buy a jar in your local supermarket. For the sundried tomato pesto having the best texture possible, soak the sundried tomatoes in warm water for five minutes. They will become more tender and should blend more easily.
Variations and versatility
You can vary the amount of garlic, pine nuts, basil and Parmesan cheese to your liking. To make this sundried tomato pesto vegan, simply omit the cheese and add more pine nuts for texture. Moreover, you can have your own take on this pesto and add vinegar for some acidity, red wine or even fresh tomatoes. If you add more fresh tomatoes, you will lose the desired pesto consistency. The pesto will become a salsa or a dip.
You can inspire yourself with these pesto recipes I’ve made in the past:
Traditional serving
What I love about sundried tomato pesto, or any type of pesto for that matter, is that it’s so versatile. You can serve it with almost anything – it doesn’t necessarily have to be a pasta dish. Although, if you want to have a lazy day in the kitchen, combining pesto with pasta is the fastest and easiest thing on the planet. It works with any type of pasta. My children enjoy it with spaghetti, tagliatelle, fusilli or penne. Whenever I serve this sundried tomato pesto with pasta, I like to sprinkle some extra pine nuts on top and garnish with fresh basil. Voila – it’s a lazy, fancy dish! No serious hassle required and it tastes amazing.
More creative serving ideas
However, coming back to my original comment about versatility, it works well in salads too. For example, I can imagine it working very well with this butter bean salad recipe. Plus, it’s a fantastic opportunity to keep your meal gluten-free. If you are looking for something more filling, why not make pesto stuffed bread – similar to garlic bread? Slice the bread open and fill the gaps with the sundried tomato pesto.
You might think I am crazy, but if you’ve got leftovers, why don’t you try mixing a bit of the pesto with Greek feta cheese? It would be similar to the Greek recipe – htipiti, where the recipe calls for a pepper paste.
How would you use sundried tomato pesto?
Print
Sundried Tomato Pesto
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 250ml (1 cup) sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 80ml (⅓ cup) pine nuts
- 80ml (⅓ cup) Parmesan cheese, grated
- 80ml (⅓ cup) basil, washed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for a week in the fridge. Keeps in the freezer for 2 months.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 189
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.3 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 5.2 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
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A special thanks to Kelly Reeve for assisting with the recipe shoot.
chilli con carne
nice
Lasagne. though I also love roasted Mediterranean veg and always add lots of cherry tomatoes
★★★★★
nice combination
spaghetti bolognese yum!
yum indeed
in a lasagne jut love it
me too. So do my kids 🙂
Penne all’arrabbiata
yummy
Grilled Chicken and Tomato Salad
sounds delicious
I love making homemade enchiladas sauce with fresh tomatoes
I love enchiladas 🙂
Tomato & chickpea curry.
great idea
My mum’s spicy kofta curry in a rich tomato sauce, just delicious!
nice combination!
Baked Tuna and tomato cheesey pasta bake is lovely
indeed 🙂
fresh tomato soup
nice idea!
I love a good summer salsa with all of the fresh produce, superb!
agreed 🙂
A tasty lasagne
clever
Homemade tomato soup theres no taste quite like it
100% agreed !
Love tomatoes in a pasta sauce, with plenty of basil and oregano.
classic yet amazing 🙂
Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad. Clean and fresh tasting.
agreed 🙂
Tomato soup with crusty bread!
★★★★
🙂 then you will love this recipe 🙂
already subscribed. looks lovely!
Great 🙂 Thanks Pete
My favourite tomato recipe is my own home made tomato pasta sauce i make every year from the glut tomatoes and basil that i grow.
That sounds incredible Jo!
I love homemade tomato soup
same here 🙂
Tomato soup
same
love a rich tomato based lasagne
me too
Im defiantly going to try this!
★★★★★
best of luck Keely 🙂
Very tasty …..
agreed 🙂
I would go chilli
nice
meatballs in tomato and basil sauce x
Nice!
tomato & cheese pasta bake
you are making me hungry!
Homemade tomato soup with croutons.
classic 🙂 and delicious
The tomato essence that I was taught on a course at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir. Absolutely fantastic!
that sounds amazing. Would love to know the recipe
Penne arrabiatta
yummy
I love roasted tomato and garlic soup
me too. Especially with lots of garlic 🙂
As a base for homemade french bread pizza
sounds good
RAGU, PREPARED IN A FRYING PAN, TO ADD TO PASTA
sounds good Austin 🙂
Meatballs in a delicious red onion, tomato and basil sauce. Yummy!
yummy indeed
I would use this pesto mixed through linguine.
I love using tomato’s in a spicy salsa.
nice idea
Pasta al Cavolfiore- a delicious vegetarian pasta dish with a sauce made with tomato puree, cauliflower and garlic. believe me it tastes better than it sounds
sounds really good! I am going to research it now
tomato soup – very simple lunch for winter weather
agreed
Chicken cacciatore
nice. I will have an upcoming post on this recipe. Keep a look out 🙂
Tomato and basil soup.
classic and delicious
The tried and trusted lasagne.
nice 🙂
Spaghetti Bolognese
nom, a family favourite
Bolognese sauce…mmmm…yum.
yuuuum indeeeed
I love a good caprese salad using home grown ingredients. Yum. The pesto sounds lovely but parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian so I’d have to omit that.
My suggestion is to add more pine nuts in this case to ensure the pesto’s consistency 🙂
Tomato salsa salad
sounds refreshing
On pasta with a good sprinkle of parmasen on top and a hand full of rocket. Simple, easy and makes a delicious side salad!
lovely
Spagetti Bolognaise x
★★★★★
nice
love a good Spaghetti Bolognaise x
★★★★★
nice
Spaghetti Bolognaise my grandaughter fave x
Nice :))
Tomato soup
clever
Pasta with mediterrenian sauce 🙂
sounds lovely
Spagetti Bolognaise
nice 🙂
I love spicy tomato baked eggs – yummy 🙂
sounds very interesting. I’d love to see the recipe 🙂
Tomato soup
nice
Lasagne x
nice
The tomato topping on Asda pizza
how creative!
Thanks for the opportunity to win this great prize. It would come in so handy 🙂
you are welcome 🙂
Tomato and basil soup
Great competition!
thanks Andy!
Sea Bream with Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon and Basil. Delicious!
sounds delicious
Spaghetti Bolognese with Quorn mince xx
yum
I’d use it in a Shakshuka.
Tomato and basil pasta ?
sounds delish!
This post has given me such a wonderful idea! I love to make a Duck Ragu with Pappardelle , and I will add this tomato pesto to it next time to add even greater depth of flavour!
🙂 great! So happy when my food inspires
Spicy tomato soup
nice!
My favourite tomato recipe is just tomato and mozzarella bagels. So simple, but with good tomatoes from the greengrocer, it’s so good.
★★★★★
🙂 sounds good
We grow loads of tomatoes in the summer and I use them to make pasta sauce and curry sauces
Tomato and basil pasta
a fantastic classic. yum
ratatouille
haven’t had this in ages!
Tomatoes Avocado mozarella cheese fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil
lovely combination!
Home made tomato soup
the best!
Putanesca
yummy
Chilli con carne`
I’d love some right now 🙂
Penne Arribiata
nice
I love bruschetta with lots of chopped tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil
me too 🙂
I’m really not a huge fan of tomatos but occasionally I crave a thinly sliced tomato and black pepper sarnie.
nice one
just a simple tomato and basil soup
yum
Tomato and mascarpone soup!
oooo, mascarpone <3
Home made tomato soup with basil.Delicious.
seems to be the popular one here 🙂
I use Tomatoes a lot my favourite recipe is a Spanish Chicken
oooh, sounds interesting. What is it exactly?
The Sundried Tomato Pesto is my favourite
:)))) Yey
I like chicken cacciatore using fresh tomatoes. For green t9,stokes m6 favourite is a simple Indian dish, but i don’t have the official name, ….8n our house we call it green tomato curry
keep a lookout for my chicken cacciatore recipe. I have one coming up 🙂
Soup !
nice
I just love a simple tomato sauce mixed into tagliatelle!
clever
I add pesto & salami into my lasagne layers. .. yumm!
★★★★★
nice!
I love making sun dried tomato bread ?
ooooh,you should check out my pesto stuffed bread!
A really tomato based spaghetti bolognese is my favourite recipe with tomatoes. I use both passata and sun dried tomatoes.
I just had this today 🙂
I like a jambalaya with a lot of tomato in and lots of other veg 🙂
sounds lovely
Roasted tomato soup with basil and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese
I am dying to have one of these now!
looks delicious!
thanks 🙂
A nice Lasagne
yum
Tomato and Basil Soup
nice
Chutney. And it lasts ages too ?
CLEVER!!
Mozzarella chicken in tomato cream sauce. and homemade tomato soup with basil pesto.
Sounds like my kind of meal
I love making homemade ketchup with different flavour additions – my smokey chipotle ketchup was a particular success.
nom… i’d love to try it
nom… I ‘d love to try it!
fresh grilled with sprinkling of oregano and a little grated cheese, delicious with toast for breakfast
Sounds delicious. I agree
chicken and pasta with tomatoe
classic 🙂
I love roasted tomato salsa!
same here
A good tomato and meat sauce with penne pasta
a classic 🙂
I love a lot of tomato in my spaghetti bolognase, I use 3 kinds!
really? which ones?
I warming tomato soup
🙂
I love Mexican bean soup
ooo nice. have you ever tried eating with nachos too? I love that combo
Subscribed 🙂 looks great
thanks Louise. Welcome and I hope you enjoy the recipes
I love a Lasagne
same here
slow cooked chilli
oooo very nice
Enchiladas
nice
Balsamic roasted tomatoes on sourdough toast!
sounds interesting. I’d love to taste this one day
Tomato and chilli soup is my favourite
nice. thanks for sharing Michelle 🙂
Aubergine parmigiana
if you like aubergines, you should check out my masala grilled aubergine… you’ll love it
I’d use it in a pasta dish
clever !
Low carbohydrate cream of tomato soup 🙂 xx
sounds lovely