on Nov 22, 2021, Updated Mar 13, 2024 You can also try my Avocado Basil Pesto, Basil Mint Pesto, and Walnut Basil Pesto if you are looking for more varieties of Pesto.
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Rich red, this tomato pesto is tangy, slightly sweet, savory, and loaded with umami flavor from the dried tomatoes. This condiment is addictive, flavorful, and super versatile. Pesto Rosso comes to my rescue on days when I come back home tired from work, or it’s a school night, and I have no time to put together a meal. I toss my favorite pasta, roasted vegetables, or grilled chicken in this delicious sauce, and a delicious meal is ready in no time. Although red pesto is easily available in the market, I prefer making it at home. Homemade pesto is free of chemicals, colors, and preservatives. It is made using the best ingredients and is still very economical. Plus, it takes just a few minutes to make, so there is no excuse not to make it at home. It is a great make-ahead recipe. You can pre-make this delicious pesto over the weekend and keep using it for the whole week. You can also make a double batch and freeze some of it. This sun-dried tomato pesto recipe is gluten-free and can be easily made vegan. Remember that the color of the pesto depends on the quality of the tomatoes used. It could range from a deep red hue to a greyish red color pesto. Nonetheless, the taste will be awesome. Here are some more homemade sauce recipes: Schezwan Sauce, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce, Cilantro Garlic Sauce, and Thai Peanut Sauce. You must also try Bang Bang Sauce, Lemon Herb Tahini, Sour Cream Pasta Sauce, and Asian Zing Sauce. Find the dry sundried tomatoes in the produce section and the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes in the aisle of your grocery store with canned vegetables. Also, try to pick the tomatoes that have nothing else added. If using the ones with garlic and herbs added, reduce the amount of these two ingredients in the recipe. The color of the pesto will depend upon the type of sun-dried tomatoes you use. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Oil adds great texture to the pesto and a nice flavor. For the best flavor, make sure you use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Parmesan Cheese – If parmesan cheese is unavailable, substitute it with Pecorino, Asiago, or nutritional yeast for a vegan pesto. Toasted Almonds – Toast the almonds before adding them to the pesto. Make sure you toast on low heat; otherwise, there is a chance that the almonds will get burnt. You can also replace the almonds with cashews, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or pistachios. A mix of nuts will also work great. Sunflower seeds are also a great substitute for nuts. Italian Basil Leaves (Sweet Basil) – When selecting basil leaves, look for fresh ones. They are very aromatic and add a delicious flavor. You can also replace fresh basil leaves with other herbs (greens) like mint, parsley, spinach, arugula, cilantro, or kale. Rosemary – Another herb that plays an important role in this pesto is rosemary. It is optional but adds a great taste. I used dried rosemary, but you can use a fresh one, too. Others – You will also need garlic cloves, salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust the red pepper flakes to taste. Add some extra flavor by adding oil-cured black olives, artichokes, roasted eggplant, avocado, or roasted red peppers to the recipe. You can also add lemon juice, lemon zest, a splash of white wine, or balsamic vinegar for a slight tanginess and a refreshing flavor. In some regions of Italy, fresh ripe cherry tomatoes are used to make pesto rosso (red pesto) instead of sun-dried tomatoes. You can try that variation, too. Toast the almonds. You can also coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes and crush the toasted almonds for easy blending. Gather the remaining ingredients.
2 cups dry sun-dried tomatoes (or sun-dried tomatoes soaked in oil) 3-4 cloves of garlic (peeled) 2 cups extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup toasted whole almonds 1 cup (packed) Italian basil leaves 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Scrape the sides of the blender a few times. Note – If sun-dried tomatoes are soaked in oil, use 1 cup instead of 2 cups. Use the oil in which they were soaked to blend the pesto, as the oil also has a lot of flavors. Note – This recipe will make approximately 2 and ½ cups of pesto. You can easily half, double, or triple the recipe. I like to use it as a spread for pizza, flatbreads, crostini, bruschetta, or crusty Italian bread topped with feta or goat cheese. It also makes a great sandwich spread. It makes an awesome pasta sauce. Toss any cooked pasta, such as penne, spaghetti, fettuccine, zucchini noodles, etc., with this pesto to make tomato pesto pasta. If the sauce is too thick, thin it down with some cooking water. If you want to make a creamy sauce, add some heavy cream to it. Serve it as a dip with crackers or pita chips. Mix a little in hummus or Baba Ganoush for a tomatoey kick. Roasted cauliflower topped with pesto Rosso tastes amazing. You can also drizzle it over roasted veggies, gnocchi, or soups. Slather it while making grilled cheese, panini, or sandwiches. Serve it on the side with roasted chicken breasts or seafood. Top the red pesto sauce over fried or Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs for a healthy breakfast. Add it to pasta salads. You can even freeze it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. I like to freeze it in smaller portions in ice cube trays. This way, I can thaw one or two cubes as needed instead of the entire batch. The oil solidifies when kept in the fridge for a few hours. Thaw it on the counter for a few hours to bring it to room temperature before using.
