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6-Ingredient Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

September 5, 2023

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This quick, 6-ingredient sun dried tomato pesto is the perfect marriage of sweet sun dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese blended together with silky olive oil. I love it tossed with rigatoni pasta and fresh mozzarella cheese. But it’s equally delicious on grilled chicken, fish or on toasted panini sandwiches. It only takes 5 minutes to make!

Sun dried tomato pesto with rigatoni pasta

This recipe surprised me. When it comes to pesto, I usually make classic Italian basil pesto (pesto alla genovese) or pesto alla Trapanese from Sicily, the latter being very tomato forward with almonds and a touch of fresh basil. Tossed with fresh homemade pasta or pillowy-soft gnocchi it’s a quick and easy no-cook sauce.

Sun dried tomato pesto, also known as “pesto rosso” in Italian, caught my attention only after trying it at our favorite local restaurant. We scoffed it up with chunks of warm, crusty baguette and when 5 minutes passed without even a hint of conversation, I knew I needed to investigate it further but at home in sweatpants with the music blasting.

My first recipe tests were horrible. Too much sun dried tomatoes and not enough “stuff” blended into the mix to cut the rich, tangy sweetness of the tomatoes. To make it more my speed, I added a handful of pine nuts (and used the rest to make these soft & chewy pignoli cookies), lots of fresh basil, ditched adding extra salt because oil-packed sun dried tomatoes are salty enough, and cut back on the Parmesan cheese because again: salt.

I liked the results. My recipe testers did too, nodding their heads in approval with half smiles and full mouths. The taste is rich tomato flavor with a subtle, yet welcome creaminess from the pine nuts. It’s excellent with rigatoni pasta, on grilled sourdough bread, focaccia, or used as a flavorful sandwich spread (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and arugula comes to mind). It’s ready in less than 5 minutes!

Ingredients You Will Need:

Oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
Garlic cloves
Pine nuts
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Rigatoni pasta, to serve (optional)

Helpful Tips:

Sun dried tomatoes are sold two ways: in oil or dried. You need oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for this recipe. I got mine from Trader Joe’s.
Use the specific quantity of sun dried tomatoes this recipe calls for. It’s the perfect amount. If you add more, the ratio will be off. It might taste too tangy.
Use fresh garlic. The flavor is less pungent and more sweet. My pesto comes out different every time depending on the freshness of the garlic.
If serving this pesto with pasta (room temperature), here’s how to cool down pasta fast: spread out the cooked pasta in a single layer, onto a sheet pan. Coat lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Cool to room temperature. Then toss with the pesto. Use this tip for pasta salads too!

How To Make It

Place the sun dried tomatoes (with oil) in a food processor. Add the garlic, pine nuts, basil and cheese.
Blend until smooth. It will look rustic, not perfectly smooth when finished.
Taste and add salt and/or more olive oil as needed to loosen the texture.
Portion into a bowl or air-tight jar. Chill until ready to use, up to 4 days.

To Serve

Sun dried tomato pesto can be served in a multitude of ways. Pasta is a great introduction. I like this pesto pasta served at room temperature instead of hot (when it’s hot, the pasta absorbs too much sauce and it becomes dry). Rigatoni is a great shape offering enough surface area to stand up to the rich and flavorful pesto sauce. I like to add fresh, unsalted mozzarella which is a lovely compliment to the sharp flavor of the sun dried tomatoes. And of course, lots of fresh basil leaves to finish!

Sun dried tomato pesto pasta with mozzarella — Sun dried tomato pasta with fresh mozzarella

More Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes To Try!