Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta is one of everyone’s favorite pasta dishes. It’s ready to eat in a flash, and heady with the fragrance of basil and parmesan. And as we all know, it’s even better with fresh, homemade pesto. Today, I’ve got a riff on that recipe for you – not green pesto but red Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, which uses the preserves from summer to bring a taste of sunshine right into the fall.

What is Pesto?

Pesto is an Italian sauce made by crushing ingredients together, traditionally with a pestle and mortar. The most common type of pesto is pesto alla Genovese (from Genoa), made with basil, pine nuts, and parmesan. Outside of Italy, when people say “pesto” they are usually referring to this classic green pesto. Pesto can be used as a sauce for pasta, spread on bread, as a component of a salad dressing, or anywhere you want to add a punch of fresh herby flavor.

But you can also make pesto with other ingredients, including different types of nuts, varied soft herbs, and even with preserved vegetables, like sun-dried tomatoes.

What are Sun-Dried Tomatoes?

Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have had most of their water content removed through drying. Dehydration traditionally took place in the sun – hence the name – but can also be achieved in a dehydrator or a low oven. The drying process results in a shriveled, chewy, and intensely flavored product with a very concentrated sweet, tart, and umami taste. It not only concentrates the flavor, but it also extends shelf life, and enhances the tomatoes’ nutritional value, particularly their lycopene value. Sun-dried tomatoes may be found in the stores dry, sold in bags, or in jars, preserved in oil.

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

For this recipe, I recommend using sun-dried tomatoes that have been preserved in oil. This means that they are already soft and squashy, and you don’t have to rehydrate them. The oil is also highly flavorful, so we can use that to make our pesto even tastier.

You’ll need enough oil to loosen the pesto, otherwise you won’t be able to blend it to a smooth paste. It’s difficult to manage it with any less than three quarters of a cup. I start off by draining the tomatoes and measuring the oil. Then I add just enough extra virgin olive oil to bring the total to 3/4 cup.

Although traditionally, pesto is made with a pestle and mortar, it is far quicker to use a blender or a food processor. The purists say you can tell the difference, but I don’t think that’s true! For a small quantity, like here, I use an immersion blender. Simply add all the pesto ingredients to the jug and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper at the end, to taste.

I like to use only the basil stems in this pesto. That way, you get a subtle flavor of basil in the pesto, but it doesn’t take away the vibrant red color. Save the basil leaves for garnishing the pasta at the end.

Cook the pasta and save a little of the cooking water. Add the pesto to taste – you will probably use about half of this amount of pesto for 8 oz of pasta – and just enough water to loosen the pesto into enough of a sauce to coat the pasta. Garnish with those reserved basil leaves.

Storage Notes

Store any remaining sun-dried tomato pesto in the refrigerator with a thin layer of olive oil on top. It should stay good for at least a few days. If you have any pasta remaining, it can also be eaten cold the following day. Try tossing a few chopped fresh vegetables through it to make a delicious pasta salad.

And More…

Looking for other pasta recipes. I’ve got more than a few! Try one of these:

• Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
• Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake
• Pink Sauce Pasta
• Lobster Pasta
• Broccolini Pasta with Arugula Pesto

Conclusion

Next time you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner, try my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta. You can whip up the pesto sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta and have the taste of sumner on the table in less than ten minutes at any time of year. What’s your favorite pesto, and do you think it’s okay to use a blender to make it? Let me know your best tips and tricks in the comments.