Basil and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Basil and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- This sauce takes just minutes to make, and it’s packed with flavor and good nutrients!
- Add your garlic, sun-dried tomatoes in their oil, and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse till ingredients come together. Next, add in all the basil and pulse till combined.
- Finally, add in the parmesan and balsamic vinegar with a pinch of kosher salt. Put the cover on the food processor. Remove the small opening on the top and slowly stream in your olive oil while the processor is running. Your sauce is now complete. Enjoy!
- This is great served with pasta, over grilled meat or on bruschetta.
- Note: This freezes well! Just place in a freezer safe container and top with a layer of extra virgin olive oil.
Video
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Let us know how it was!What is basil and sun-dried tomato pesto?
This pesto keeps fresh basil as the bright backbone but adds sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts for a different profile than a classic Genovese pesto. Sun-dried tomatoes provide concentrated, tangy-sweet tomato depth and a richer color, while walnuts give a slightly earthier, more rustic texture than pine nuts. Overall expect a bolder, tangier flavor and a deeper hue compared with traditional basil-only pesto.
Choosing sun-dried tomatoes and the jar oil
This pesto uses sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. Including the tomatoes with their oil brings both tomato solids and flavorful oil into the sauce, adding body and an extra layer of richness. Jarred sun-dried tomatoes can be salty, which is why this version calls for only a modest pinch of kosher salt.
Why top with oil before freezing
When this pesto is frozen, a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil over the surface helps limit air exposure at the top. That oil layer slows surface oxidation, which helps preserve color and flavor while frozen.
Watch Dr. J Make Basil and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Watch Dr. J make Basil and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and see how it comes together.
