Don’t you love when you discover a new food that blows your mind, despite the fact that others have been raving about it for ages?
Some of mine:
- Avocado (I “hated” avocado until I ate my face off w/ guacamole in Mexico, 2007)
- Mushrooms (anyplace, anytime)
- Beets (raw, cooked, juiced, I like them all)
- Tofu
- raw cacao powder (a recent baking discovery…I’m obsessed!)
- Dark chocolate (it took me a while to appreciate the intensity, but now I love it)
My latest cooking discovery: Sundried Tomatoes!
Where have you been all my life?
I can’t seem to stop putting them in my food. My first recipe was Sundried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips. Sundried tomatoes are just so flavourful and fun to add into so many dishes.
For some reason, I could not get the thought of sundried tomato basil pesto out of my mind.
I made two trials of this pesto using both oil-packed (shown today) and non-oil packed sundried tomatoes. Both worked wonderfully, however the recipe changes slightly which I will note below. If you are using non-oil packed tomatoes, be sure to soak them in water for at least 1-2 hours before making this pesto. Finally, look for organic, sulfite-free sundried tomatoes if you are concerned about consuming sulfites.
Don’t mind the upside down sea salt. It’s a long story that resulted in an exploded bottom with salt spilled over every nook and cranny of the kitchen. I won’t mention any names (cough, husband, cough). It now rests upside down with tin foil covering the jagged plastic bottom.
You will need about 20 grams of fresh basil which is equal to a 1/2 packed cup. Really pack it in so it’s overflowing!
Much like my Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, this pesto isn’t the prettiest to look at, but it sure tastes incredible!
Ok, maybe itis kinda pretty with the right lighting! It’s a sunny & orange sundried pesto.
Lightened-Up Sundried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta
Yield
3/4 cup
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
This lightened up pesto has just 1/4 cup of olive oil, but I promise you won’t know the difference . The sundried tomatoes, walnuts, and basil create an extremely flavourful pesto that goes wonderfully with pasta, sandwiches or wraps, or mixed into some grilled vegetables. Can’t have nuts? Just leave them out. The addition of the walnuts was more of an afterthought than a main ingredient.
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 2 garlic cloves
- 20 grams fresh basil leaves (1/2 cup packed)
- 55 grams (about 7) oil-packed sundried tomatoes (see notes)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6-8 tbsp water
- 3-4 tbsp walnuts (toasted, if preferred)
- Fine grain sea salt + pepper, to taste (I used 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
For the pasta
- Your choice of pasta
- Walnuts, chopped and toasted
- Fresh basil
- Sundried tomatoes, chopped
- Pesto
Directions
- In a food processor, with the machine running, drop in the 2 garlic cloves to mince. Now, drop in the basil and process until finely chopped.
- Pour in the olive oil, with the machine running, along with the tomatoes, nutritional yeast (optional), and water (add slowly as needed). Process until mostly smooth.
- Pulse in the walnuts until chunky and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tip:
If using dry, non oil-packed sundried tomatoes, soak 30 grams in a bowl of water for 1-2 hours until very soft. Reserve the soaking water and use it in the pesto. I used 9 tbsp of soaking water, but you may need less or more depending on your preference.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Served with toasted crunchy bread, this meal was one to remember. I didn’t think I would ever like a pesto more than my Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto, but this one is now tied for first!
If you find yourself with leftover pesto, I recommend spreading it on a sandwich or wrap, along with roasted veggies, spinach, and avocado. Mmmmm, yes I highly recommend that. Or just mix some pesto into some roasted veggies for a tasty side dish. It should keep for a week in the fridge, but I doubt it will last that long.
I was so cocky in thinking I had sun-dried tomatoes(I just moved/unpacked AND should have known better!),,,anyways I used some leftover cherry tomatoes and roasted peppers for the pesto over zucchini noodles,,,loved it! Will make again…with the sun-dried tomatoes next time :)
haha glad to hear it worked out anyways :)
Thats crazy you used to not like avocados! My mom always made fresh guacamole growing up, so I have always loved them, but I never used to think to eat them in other dishes, before I change my unhealthy eating habits… I have about 1 a day haha :) although it gets a little pricey
This is really weird but the same thing happened to my salt so now I have to keep mine upside down as well! haha
This looks amazing! I love pesto!
Thats funny! There is strength in numbers…heh
This recipe has been a GODSEND!! Last year i harvested about 70 pounds of tomatoes…those that didn’t get snacked on we roasted and made into the roasted tomato version of this pesto. AMAZING!!! I froze alot of it and we have been enjoying it all winter long. It freezes beautifully… We used the last of it up last week… : (
This is such an amazing recipe along with your avocado pasta recipe… they rank 1 and 2 on my list of all time pasta favorites!!! Looking forward to this year’s crop of ‘maters so i can make more… Thank you so much!
Wow thats a lot of tomatoes!!! Amazing. So glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes Lindsey!
Oh my gosh. I have been having a borderline obsession w/ sun-dried tomatoes recently. I can’t get enough and have been digging for recipes. Can’t WAIT to try this one–looks amazing!
This is lovely! I was just checking out some of your older recipes and was going to try the roasted tomato pesto recipe, but I like how this one is lightened up a little. I have family coming into town this weekend and might just try both and see which one we all agree on:) Sun-dried or roasted? I’m sure either will be wonderful!
Yum! I made a sundried tomato basil pesto a while back and used it (thinned out with some tomato sauce) on a caprese pizza – so good! Yours looks divine, and I love the idea of using it on pasta. Definitely something I need to make again, soon! :D
I love sun dried tomatoes and always have them in my fridge! They make such a nice addition to grain and bean salads. I’ve never tried making pesto with them, but this recipe looks fantastic. Do you have any suggestions for making a nut-free version? Maybe pine nuts or sunflower seeds?
Seeds might work too, however it tastes good without any nuts at all. The addition of the walnuts was more of an afterthought than a main ingredient.
This pasta is just packed with amazing flavours!
This look absolutely fabulous!
Too funny. Avocado and mushrooms are two of my obsession foods. I will need to make this recipe asap!
I loved your Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto and if this one is tied for first, I am definitely going to have to give it a try! I can’t wait!
I hope you like it Theresa!
How much pasta?
The pesto will make enough for 3-4 servings, but I just made 2 and saved the rest for wraps.
Angela, come cook for me, please. Pretty please.
I’m trying to like avocados because I had it in a sandwich the other day (purchased, not made by myself) and it was amazing. However, I have no idea how to judge if an avocado is ripe or not when I buy it in the supermarket. I got one yesterday and it turned out it was rock solid and thus pretty disgusting to eat. Any tips you have for me?
Hey Clem, When it’s ripe it should be *just* soft to the touch. However when you press it with your thumb, it shouldn’t push inward super easy. It takes a bit of trial and error, I’ve found, but eventually you will be able to tell when it’s perfectly ripe. If it feels like a baseball in firmness give it a few days and do the push test again.
Great recipe! I too love sun dried tomatoes. I’m bookmarking this. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks! I once made a savory sun dried tomato jam with onions. Ooh now there’s something you could maybe work with ;) I served it with crostini.
Thanks Angela, made this last night and it was a hit!
I love sundried tomaterz too! They’re SO tasty and SO versatile….I enjoy it in pastas too, & sometimes in salads. And I’m a fan of all your past-fear foods! But I haven’t tried raw cacao powder yet–I’m so curious now!
Love your photos… and the meal looks delicious!
Wowsa…this pasta looks amazing!!!!! I love sun dried tomatoes and pesto..mmm..mmm:)
OMG! I made this last night and it was uh-MAY-zing! I think I may actually love this more than regular pesto! Tossed it on some high fiber spaghetti with roasted asparagus, sauteed mushrooms and spinach and it was a fabulous dinner. My boyfriend loved it too! Thanks for the great recipe :-)
Hey Christine, so glad you enjoyed it! We are pretty crazy for it too.
Oohh I can’t wait to try this! I make the roasted tomato basil pesto every other week, just can’t seem to get enough of it! I did find a shortcut, since roasting the tomatoes in my apartments ancient oven takes FOREVER.. I use a can of organic fire roasted tomatoes and it came out just the same! Great for when you are short on time :) Heading out to look for sundried ones asap! Thanks Angela!
Great dish! My newest find is an avocado. I made gaucamole last week, with knowing I have an allergy to avacado, and all of a suddne when I had the gauc, nothing happened, I felt fine! Now I can’t wait to explore the world of avocado!!
Mmmm , this looks yummy, thanks Angela…
You should put your salt in a glass jar, it would go with your pretty pantry collection ;)
Have a great day,
Isa
thats a great idea actually!
This recipe is definately going in the “FAVORITES” section in my recipe book, right next to your Avocado Pasta! We are what we call Vegan-ish in our house (we still eat fish sometimes)… We used the pesto on top of tilapia and as sauce over Trader Joe’s Basil and Garlic Linguine. Oh. MY. GOODNESS! This was delicious! Thanks for another easy go-to dinner dish!
Thanks Patty so happy to hear that!
This looks yummy!! I am on a raw pesto with raw daikon noodles kick right now. I add spinach, which might make your pesto a bit more appealing?? Or it might end up looking like baby poo.. haha I am not sure.
haha either way Im sure it would taste great!
Oh my Gosh! I just made this and think I died and went to heaven! What an amazing recipe! I didn’t have the walnuts so I left them out and didn’t notice anything missing. I had cashews and considered throwing them in but didn’t at the last minute. I wonder how that would have tasted?
Glad you enjoyed it!
Along with delicious flavor that sun dried tomatoes add to the dishes they are a natural source of Vitamins C and a good source of iron. Love them!
What an amazing meatless dinner. I’ve got all these ingredients handy too :)
Angela – I tried this yesterday with my husband! We don’t have a food processor, so we used a blender and minced the nuts/garlic ourselves – it still turned out DELICIOUS! I <3 whole wheat pasta.
For about a week I had this odd craving for pesto. I never really give it much thought, I’ll eat it when it’s there but not really a shopping list essential.
I think it must have been because I bought a pesto and balsamic dressing the other day and I remembered how good pesto was.
Then my work colleague that pesto and pasta for lunch and it smelt amazing, I definitely need to make some, if not at least buy a jar!
With sundried tomatoes, I find it hit and miss, sometimes they are delicious and sometimes they have a really odd taste to them. I prefer the ones you get from the deli.
I made this for dinner tonight. Everyone enjoyed it and ate it all including my 8 year old, picky eater. Delicious meal, as usual, when I cook recipes from your site.
yay that is great news!
Angela, this recipe was amazing. My boyfriend (who is pretty picky) loved this pesto and so did I :) I used pistachios instead of walnuts (since it was what I had on hand) and it turned out great! The bf has decided to have the left over pesto for dinner again tonight :)
So glad you enjoyed it Gwen! (Sorry for the delayed reply) :)
Summer basil = pesto.
In other words, DA BEST!
I just made this and WOW! is it good!
This looks so good! I made your roasted tomato pesto and loved it, and I’m excited to try this recipe too! I think the pesto would also be really good on spelt pizza with loads of spinach :)
I made this and it was incredibly delicious! I tossed it with Spinach filled ravioli but I can’t wait to use it as a dressing for grilled vegetables, as a dip for crostini next to a glass of red wine, as part of a summer antipasto platter – the options are endless! :)
On a side note – I somehow accidentally managedto drop my 1/4 cup measuring cup into my food processor after i drizzled in the olive oil. It was metal so I think it did a number on the blade of my food processor – maybe this will give me the excuse I’ve been looking for to buy a new one.
So glad you liked it Susan! Sorry to hear about your food processor blade!
This pesto is awesome! I had raw cashews on hand, so I substituted those for the walnuts. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing, I really enjoy your blog!
We made this for dinner tonight but used sundried tomato basil spaghetti and added some sauteed cherry tomatoes .. It was amazing!!
Not-So-Pro-Tip: If you don’t have time to soak your tomatoes you can get them set up in the soaking water for a few minutes, then microwave them (still in the water) for about 20 seconds. It’s like a fast forward.
This pesto is SO GOOD!! I ate it on lightly-sauteed julienned green and yellow squash. My mom took a bite on her way out the door to dinner and said she’d rather stay in and eat the pesto! It was super quick & easy to make; I’ll definitely be making this over and over again. Thank you!!!!
hah love to hear that!! I cant wait to try it over julienned zucchini too.
I am new to vegetarian/vegan dishes– I am not a total convert but I do meatless meals for my family. I am trying to understand what is nutritional yeast and what is it for.
Thanks—-
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made this for dinner last night for my parents and they loved it. It now will become a staple in my kitchen! I am new to your site and I can’t wait to try your other recipes!!!
It just tried this last night and it is wonderful, quick, and easy! I added mushrooms to mine as usual. I may add even more veggies the next time. It probably won’t make my regular rotation of meals since I tend to avoid pasta and oil most of the time. Two things that make me put on weight very easily!
It is so good we put it on raw spiralized zucchini (somebody also made it with sauteed julienned zucchini) and we use soaked sundried tomatoes and then use the water from the tomatoes were soaking in – no oil! So yummy!
Did you make the bread you paired with this pasta? If so, will you share the recipe? It looks phenomenal! =)
Sadly no, it`s from a bakery ;)
Hi, i was just wondering how many people this serves? is it just one? :) it looks delicious! thanks x
We had this for dinner the other night with some tomato basil bread from Panara. Everybody loved the pasta, we will be having this one again and again, thanks for the recipe!
Can you also serve this dish cold?
Made it tonight…delicious!! Thank you!
Hi Angela,
I made this recipe this week. I must say this is one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time. Just delicious and I did not miss the meat for one minute. I’m not vegan but looking for healthier things to fill my diet. This is great! I had the left pesto on a sandwich today.
Thanks,
Lori
I made this last night and it was AHmazing! Such a great flavor-can’t wait to try the roasted tomato pesto tomorrow night! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes, Angela. I pretty much exclusively cook from yours! As someone relatively new to the vegan kitchen, it has been so great.