Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

I had a craving for deep tomato flavor, but since tomatoes still aren’t at their vine-ripened peak, I thought I would pull this recipe from my repertoire for a weeknight meal. Simple, quality ingredients, easy to prepare, a variety of applications, and tons of flavor? Now that’s a recipe that I like. This is an excellent sauce to have on hand to toss with pasta for a quick meal, or to use as a topping for sautéed or grilled fish and/or chicken. It also makes for a nice spread on country bread or crostini. Use it as a condiment for sandwiches or panini. Better yet, use it as an ingredient in a wonderful main dish salad dressing (just a little hint for my next post). Stay tuned…

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

By Nicole Prep: 5 minsTotal: 5 mins Servings: 1.5 cups Simple, quality ingredients, easy to prepare, a variety of applications and tons of flavor is something you will to have on hand for quick easy meals!

Equipment

• 14-cup food processor

Ingredients 

• 1 (3.5 ounce package) of sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

1. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the tomatoes, oil, basil, and garlic until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Add the cheese, salt, and pepper, and pulse to combine. Taste for seasoning. Enjoy!

Notes

The pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Nutrition

Calories: 958kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 83g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 55g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 1432mg, Potassium: 2399mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 1713IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 406mg, Iron: 7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.