Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe

This tangy, delicious easy sun dried tomato pesto comes together in seconds and can be stirred into pasta, stews, casseroles, added to sandwiches or enjoyed as a dip.  Tastes great in pesto chicken meatballs!

My sun dried tomato pesto sauce is very quick and easy to make and you can keep it in the fridge for several days.  It's convenient as well as versatile, great with both hot and cold dishes.  Pesto can be very handy when it's too hot to make elaborate meals.  For an easy meal idea just cook your favourite pasta, stir in some pesto and enjoy!

Sun dried tomato pesto ingredients

In addition to the star ingredient (i.e. sun-dried tomatoes) this recipe also contains fresh basil (I do not recommend using dried, the end result won't be as good), oil, garlic, toasted pine nuts, a little parmesan cheese (ensure it's vegetarian if required) and a drop of lemon juice.  

I also added a small amount of water into the sauce.  This allowed me to get the consistency I wanted without having to use a lot of oil. So this sun dried tomato pesto is quite light and healthy.

What sun-dried tomatoes are best to use in this recipe

It's best to use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, which are soft and full of moisture and you can use them straight from the jar (the dried variety, on the other hand, needs to be rehydrated in a liquid before you can use it).  Also you can use the entire contents of the jar to make this sun dried tomato pesto sauce (including the oil, see Instructions below to ensure you are using the right amount of oil).

A jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil sometimes also contains capers.  If your product does go ahead and use these in this recipe too (1.5 teaspoon will suffice).  They add a delicious, subtle tang without having an obvious presence in this recipe.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.In a small non-stick pan dry toast the pine nuts until golden stirring often.  This will only take a couple of minutes. 

2. In a blender combine all the pesto ingredients, including the pine nuts.

3. Pulse a few times until well combined and there are no large tomato pieces visible.  The mixture should still have some texture in it.

4. Adjust the seasoning if required, place the pesto in a jar or another container and refrigerate for up to 1-2 weeks.

Serving suggestions

There are SO many ways to enjoy this easy sun-dried tomato pesto recipe! 

• With pasta

If you are adding it into pasta you'll have a quick and easy vegetarian dinner for 6 hungry people ready in minutes. (Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water to loosen the sauce). Top with roasted vegetables, fresh basil and enjoy!

• As a dip

You can enjoy this healthy pesto as a dip, puree along with white beans or avocado and serve with crackers or garlic bread.  

• As a snack

Spread a small amount of the pesto on baguette slices, sprinkle over some grated cheese and pop in the oven for a delicious snack or easy appetizer!

• As a spread

You can also combine this pesto sauce with cream cheese, puree until smooth and make a gorgeously creamy sun dried tomato spread.

• To add flavour to dishes

Try stirring it into a creamy chicken breast recipe or skinny alfredo for added flavour.

In my next post I'll show you just how versatile this pesto recipe is by using it in pesto chicken meatballs.

Top tips

• Use sun dried tomatoes in oil. The oil can be added into the pesto along with the capers if present.
• Do not puree the pesto mixture until completely smooth, it should still have some texture in it.
• I used a moderate amount of basil but you can increase it to your taste.
• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1.5-2 weeks.
• If using this recipe as a dip refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, if possible.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Substitutions

• You could use sunflower seeds or chopped blanched almonds instead of the pine nuts.
• Use the oil from the sun dried tomatoes or another mild tasting olive oil.

You might also like

• Sun Dried Tomato Soda Bread with Cheese
• Roasted Asparagus Pesto Pasta
• Easy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake (Healthy)
• Avocado Basil Pesto Pasta Sauce (Low Fat)
• Zucchini Noodles with Parsley Pesto & Eggs (Appetizer)

Check out also this collection of healthy vegetarian pasta meals!

Keep in touch!

How has your sun-dried tomato pesto turned out for you?  Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce Recipe

This tangy, delicious easy sun dried tomato pesto sauce comes together in seconds and can be added to sauces, sandwiches, pasta or enjoyed as a dip.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Party Food, Snack

Cuisine: Italian, vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 6 portions

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

• ▢
  Food processor

Ingredients

• ▢ 140 g sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained weight
• ▢ 80 ml oil from your jar of tomatoes or vegetable/mild olive oil
• ▢ 10 basil leaves large
• ▢ 1 garlic clove chopped
• ▢ 3 tbsp parmesan or another hard cheese, finely grated, ensure it's vegetarian
• ▢ 2 tbsp pine nuts lightly toasted
• ▢ 1½ tsp capers
• ▢ 1 tsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1-2 tbsp water
• ▢ pepper to taste

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• In a small non-stick pan dry toast the pine nuts until golden stirring all the time. Place along with all the remaining pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times until well combined and there are no large pieces left. The mixture should still have some texture in it.
• Adjust the seasoning if required, transfer the pesto into a jar, close the lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving if possible.

Notes

• Use sun dried tomatoes in oil. The oil can be added into the pesto along with the capers (if present).
• Do not puree the pesto mixture until completely smooth, it should still be a little grainy.
• I used a moderate amount of basil but you could increase that.
• If you don't want to use pine nuts good alternatives are sunflower seeds or chopped blanched almonds.
• You may not need to add any salt to this pesto, but be generous with pepper.
• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1.5-2 weeks.
• Uses: add to pasta, combine with cream cheese to make a spread, puree with avocado or beans to make a dip. If you want to loosen the consistency of the pesto add a bit of water or oil (see Post above for more suggestions).
• If using this recipe as a dip refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving, if possible.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

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