This Sun-dried Tomato Pesto recipe is made in just minutes, with plenty of tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Perfect on pasta, sandwiches, drizzled over veggies or pizza, stirred into Alfredo sauce, used in soups, and more!
This is part of a series of recipes here on the site that I’m calling “Back to Basics“. In this series you’ll find recipes that are common building blocks for beginner cooks, as well as homemade versions of pantry/store-bought staples, such as cream of mushroom soup, pizza sauce, garlic bread, etc. With easy to follow instructions, detailed notes, and step by step photos, you’ll be on your way to being a master in your kitchen in no time
Are you a pesto fan? I definitely am! The fresh vibrant flavors all mesh so well together.
This version is different, in that it’s not a basil pesto! The sun-dried tomatoes add a beautiful tang and sweetness.
Plus the creaminess from the cheese and toasted pine nuts, the sharpness from the garlic, and richness from the oil… and all perfectly balanced.
It’s such a versatile sauce, and I love that it’s uncooked, making this a super easy recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes.
It’s a great sauce to make ahead of time, and even freeze!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Sun-dried tomatoes – I much prefer the texture and flavor of the ones that come in jars and are packed with oil.
- Garlic – typically I prefer to use fresh garlic cloves, but the pre-minced variety or tubes of garlic paste will also work well.
- Parmesan cheese – if possibly, I do recommend using freshly grated Parmesan, or a tub of pre-grated Parmesan from the store, rather than the non-refrigerated “cheese” that comes in a jar with a green lid.
- Pine nuts – these are really common in all kinds of pestos, but they’re toasted in this recipe to add more flavor.
- Basil – fresh basil is best; the dried stuff just doesn’t have the right flavor.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil is what I typically use, but a light olive oil works, or you can use the drained oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Salt & pepper – add this to your tastes and preferences.
How to make sun-dried tomato pesto?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Toast pine nuts. Toasting the nuts deepens their flavor and makes the pesto taste even better.
- First pulse. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fresh basil, and pulse until finely chopped.
- Stream in oil. Keep the food processor on and while it’s running, slowly pour in olive oil. It will come together into a sauce.
- Season and pulse. Add salt and pepper, then pulse to combine. Give the pesto a taste and add black pepper and/or more salt if you’d like.
Helpful Tip!
Since this sauce isn’t cooked, and uses relatively few ingredients, you really want to make sure those ingredients are the best quality you can get. This isn’t the time to buy that manager’s special basil that is starting to go bad, or that package of pine nuts or sun-dried tomatoes that’s been sitting around for 6 months. Those will throw off the flavor of your pesto.
Variations of this recipe
- Sun-dried tomatoes – I like the texture and flavor of this pesto when I use the sun-dried tomatoes in oil (which I drain). But if you only have the kind that isn’t packed in oil (these usually come in a pouch at the grocery store), you can use those, you might just want to add a bit of extra olive oil.
- Garlic – for a more mellow flavor, use roasted garlic cloves instead of fresh.
- Greens – I love using some fresh basil in this pesto, but feel free to play around with the amount if you’d like. I’ve also seen pesto made using spinach or arugula.
- Nuts – pine nuts are traditional (they may also be labeled pignoli), but they can also be pretty pricey. Walnuts are a cheaper, albeit, nontraditional option.
- Cheese – I highly recommend using a high quality grated Parmesan cheese (not the can with the green lid that’s found by the pasta sauce), but grated Romano cheese is a great alternative.
- Oil – traditionally this sauce is made with extra virgin olive oil, and I highly recommend using that if you have it. Alternately, light olive oil or avocado oil will also work. You can also save the oil you drain from the sun-dried tomatoes and use that!
- Lemon – try adding a bit of lemon zest to brighten up this pesto even more!
- Spicy – for a little heat, feel free to add some crushed red pepper flakes.
FAQ’s
I don’t have experience with canning, but I did see that the National Center for Home Food Preservation does not recommend it, since the sauce is uncooked and botulism could thrive, even when canned properly. Their recommendation is good enough for me, so I don’t recommend canning it either.
There are a few reasons why pesto can turn out a little on the bitter side. The oils in the pine nuts can cause them to turn a little rancid, the olive oil itself could be turning rancid, or the basil isn’t all that fresh. It also could be the food processor. I personally don’t notice this, and I always use a food processor to make pesto, but Cook’s Illustrated found that olive oil contains bitter chemical compounds that really only shine through when the oil is emulsified (like in a food processor). Their solution is to use the food processor to grind up everything except the oil. Add a little water to make a paste, then stir in the olive oil.
Making pesto ahead of time
Making homemade pesto is easy and even though it doesn’t take much time, you can save even more time by making it entirely ahead of time.
Pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, so feel free to make a batch and enjoy it all week long!
Freezing
For a longer shelf life, pesto can be frozen. Store in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
To freeze small portions, use an ice cube tray! Then once all the pesto cubes are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer safe container.
When you need a little pesto, thaw out a cube and use as desired.
Storage
Leftover homemade pesto should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within 1 week.
More Homemade Condiment Recipes:
My Favorite Small Food Processor!
This smaller food processor is perfect for recipes like this one. Plus, it’s easier to store and less expensive than a much larger version!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare
- ** This is optional, but if you'd like even more sun-dried tomato flavor, feel free to drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into a small bowl, and use that to stream into the pesto. If you use the oil from the tomatoes, you'll need less olive oil, so keep that in mind. **
- If you're not saving it to use, drain sun-dried tomatoes of the oil.
Toast pine nuts
- Add pine nuts to a skillet and heat over MED LOW heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, until lightly toasted and fragrant. Set aside, off the heat.
Pulse
- To a food processor, add drained sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, and basil leaves.
- Pulse 7-10 times, or until finely chopped.
Stream in oil
- Switch on the food processor to continuously run with the lid on, and slowly stream in the olive oil through the small hole in the processor lid.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed (make sure the food processor is turned off for that), until the mixture is a smooth, loose paste.
Season and pulse again
- Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse again to combine everything.
Serve or store
- Serve as is, or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- Recipe makes between 1 and 2 cups. However you choose to divide that up into servings is up to you.
- If you don’t have a food processor, this pesto can be made in a blender as well.
- Please see the “variations of this recipe” section above the recipe for details about substitutions.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
April says
This was great! We added some to our pasta last night and it was delicious!
Sandra says
This is very good! I did use the tip to use up the sun dried tomato oil in place of some of the olive oil it called for. We have put this in pasta and on top of pizza! Great flavor.
Sandra says
I love this pesto! Made it yesterday as a dip for my crusty bread and it was perfect! So good!
Erin says
Made this over the weekend, and it was so flavorful! Tossed it with pasta and everyone loved it!
Beth says
Great stuff! I used it on a grilled chicken sandwich with a slice of mozzarella. DEE-licious!
Krystle Smith says
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve tossed it with pasta and spread it on a sandwich – both delicious. I’m excited to try it on pizza next.