|
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto |
Of all the tasty spreads, pasta sauces and dips one can prepare in the kitchen, pesto has to have one of the best time to value ratios. With a food processor/chopper, it is ridiculously quick to prepare and super tasty once finished. 10 minutes is all you need to make a quick batch of tasty basil pesto. It’s not as quick as 6 Minute Abs, but you’ll sweat a lot less. It’s also very likely that, with the exception of basil, you already have everything on hand to make a simple pesto right now.
One of the best things about the traditional pesto recipe is its overall versatility. Say you don’t have any pine nuts? Then sub them out for almonds, walnuts or pistachios. What about other flavors to better match other flavors of a meal? Add in other herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, to the pesto if it’s to be used on a dinner plate in some way.
The sun-dried tomatoes can be bought either dehydrated or oil packed. I prefer dehydrated so that I stay in control of the type of oil and seasonings used. Though, out of the bag, the dehydrated type is far too tough to use so you’ll need to soften them up by steeping them in boiling water for several minutes. If you’re making a soup later on, or doing anything involving a pan sauce, hang on to the water that’s left behind as it has some valuable flavor locked in it.
As far as sourcing the basil goes, buying loose basil from a smaller market (or from the bulk bins in the produce section at Whole Foods) tends to be the freshest and the best value. The small plastic containers of herbs sold at large supermarkets is usually the highest price, per ounce, around. In Chicago, I’ve found that Asian food stores have the best deal anywhere. Broadway Supermarket, a Vietnamese market in Uptown, sells large packages of basil, good for about 2-3 cups of leaves, for around $2.
Anyone that’s done homemade pesto before knows that the basil loves to quickly turn brown when left out. Why? Bananas, avocados, apples and basil all contain an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) that turns brown when exposed to oxygen. For most fruits, a little acid from a lemon or lime can prevent this, but that’s not a flavor I like in pesto. To prevent this in basil, briefly blanch your basil leaves in boiling water for about 10 seconds and quickly transfer them to an ice bath. Any longer and you risk breaking down the delicate leaves to a point that you’ll have a pasty pesto.
The sun dried tomato pesto recipe below is a lot like my basic hummus recipe in that it’s really just a starting point for you to make your own. Experiment with the ratios and ingredients to find what works best for you. Change it up based on other items you’re serving. Unlike bigger cooked items that take longer to prepare, you have a little of freedom here to experiment because the recipe is scaled down so much.
Total time:
10 minutes
Yield: 3/4 cup
If you love pizza, love recipes that are ready in minutes and love Mediterranean food,…
This mediterranean chopped salad is bursting with fresh flavors from the vegetables and has a…
Turn your leftover soy pulp into this healthy, low sugar Okara Granola. It's a sustainable…
It's so easy to make this crispy air fried cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe's. Plus,…
Most of my traffic related to my pressure cooked ham recipes are clustered around three…
Hummus is something that we make at least once a week. Everyone loves it and…
View Comments
Totally putting this out for my new years eve party. Love pesto and this looks sooooo easy to make!
Thanks so much for linking up with the GYB hop yesterday, and for coming by to visit me. I'm going to be pinning this recipe for sure, it looks super tasty! Happy Friday from your newest Facebook follower :)
Absolutely, the GYB is a great idea. Hope you enjoy the pesto!
I love pesto, dried tomatoe sounds much better. I will try it soon. Have a great weekend!
Thanks! The sun-dried tomatoes definitely give it a fun flavor. I've found it's pretty tasty with scrambled eggs as well.
Looks great! I've always hated how pesto changes color so fast, but now I know how to fix that issue. :)
Thanks, CJ, that's for sure one of my favorite pesto tips.
Just had this for lunch. Absolutely gorgeous! Well, actually it wasn't really this, Im veggie so no parmasen ans I used Cashews instead of pine nuts. Love it though, will definitely be a regular here. My 2 year old is looking for more!
Cashews sound like a fun swap...roasted cashews? Very cool that your 2 y/o is into it too. Our 2 y/o is already a big fan of pesto...and hummus too!
I just made your sun dried tomato pesto! Thank you so much, this was an amazing recipe! We enjoyed with a fresh baguette. I have basil growing out my ears so glad to switch up the old school pesto recipe.
Gourmet Cooking for Dummies is my favourite! I have learnt cooking for several month ago and thanks to this book. Recomended book!