Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Plate lickin’ good
Spread on a slice of bread, tossed into a salad, used as a base for your pasta sauce, my golly, this pesto is a star. Be ready to be sneaking back to the fridge for a spoonful. The combination of that earthy-sweet tomato with the spiciness of the garlic, and the brightness from the lemon… it’s a winner.
Ingredients
2 cups dried tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Here’s my process. I use my food processor for this one because those dried tomatoes can be too difficult to pound by hand properly.
Step 1
Place your dried tomatoes into your food processor. Pulse them a few times until they are broken down into small bits. Add your pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese, garlic, and salt. I pulse it a few times until it’s coarsely combined.
Step 2
Take the pesto mixture out of the food processor and put it in a bowl. Stir in the olive oil. Once combined, stir in your lemon juice.
Step 3
Taste. If it is missing some pizzazz then add a quick splash of lemon juice more, that tends to brighten it right up. Add any last salt and enjoy.
Preserving Beta
If you can get your hands on a bunch of dried tomatoes, make a large batch of pesto and put it in well labeled and dated individual containers, and pop them into the freezer. They store beautifully and when you are ready to use some thaw out the night before in the fridge.