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Sundried Tomato Pesto
My sundried tomato pesto is rich, vibrant, and packed with flavour. I blend sundried tomatoes with garlic, parmesan, toasted nuts, and olive oil to create a bold, tangy pesto that I use on everything – pasta, toast, grilled veggies, even eggs. It’s one of those versatile staples I always keep in the fridge for quick meals or last-minute entertaining. Whether you need a punchy spread, a pasta sauce, or a dip, this easy pesto recipe is always a winner.
Ingredients
- 250g sundried tomatoes
- 30g pinenuts, lightly toasted
- 50g parmesan cheese
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Small pinch sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, and salt to a food processor or mini chopper. Blitz until everything is well combined and forms a thick, slightly chunky paste.
- If the pesto feels too thick, drizzle in a little extra olive oil until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Sometimes I add a tiny splash of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar for extra flavour.
Notes
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil give the best flavour and texture. If you're using dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes first, then drain well before using.
- I use this food processor for pesto. It handles the thick, sticky texture of sun-dried tomatoes without overheating.
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Keep a close eye on them as they burn easily.
- Start with 1 clove of garlic and add the second if you want a stronger bite. Sun-dried tomatoes are already quite punchy, so you don't need to go heavy-handed.
- This pesto is meant to be thick and spreadable rather than runny. If you're using it as a pasta sauce, thin it out with a few tablespoons of hot pasta water to help it coat the pasta properly.
- The oil from the sun-dried tomato jar is liquid gold. It's packed with flavour and adds an extra layer of richness to the pesto.
- For a bit of heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes when blitzing.
- Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to keep it fresh and prevent it from drying out.
- You can freeze this pesto in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Pop out individual portions as needed and defrost at room temperature or stir directly into hot dishes.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 84Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 56mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
“My new favourite pesto recipe! Great stirred through pasta or stuffed into chicken with some mozzarella cheese.”
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Sundried Tomato Pesto
A Go-To Recipe
I’ve been making this Sundried Tomato Pesto recipe for who knows how long. Honestly, it’s one of those recipes that just lives in the back of your head, quietly waiting for leftover sundried tomatoes to accumulate in the fridge. It’s bold, it’s punchy, and it takes next to no effort to whip up. Every time I cook something Mediterranean inspired – like a dreamy pesto pasta sauce or the focaccia I was raving about recently – I always end up with a bit of leftover sundried tomato. And every time, without fail, into the pestle and mortar they go. Waste not, want not, right?
This Sundried Tomato Pesto is one of those quick midweek miracles. You know the ones I mean – when you’re tired, over it, and wondering if crackers and hummus count as a meal (they do, but still). All you need is a pot of boiling pasta, a spoonful of this pesto, maybe a dash of cream, and you’re in business. It’s also gorgeous slathered on toasted sourdough with ricotta for a bruschetta that feels fancy but takes five minutes flat. It’s got this deep, rich flavour that makes it taste like you’ve put way more effort in than you actually have. Honestly, pesto is the lazy cook’s dream.
I think that’s what I love most about pesto. It gives maximum flavour with minimum effort. And when life is busy, when your brain is full, and when you really cannot be bothered faffing about in the kitchen, having a little jar of something ready-made (or nearly made) can save the day. It might not be glamorous, but it’s honest. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
Winter in Brisbane
We’re technically still in autumn, but Brisbane is only just now catching on that it’s supposed to be cold. The nights have definitely turned chilly, and the mornings are so crisp and clean you can practically hear the frost in the air. I’ve finally swapped out my summer sheets for a proper cosy duvet and started living in my fluffy robe. Honestly, the flat gets cold enough that I’m tempted to keep it on all day. It’s not glamorous, but it’s warm. Priorities, am I right?
Colder weather always flips a switch in me. Salads make way for soups, cold dinners become warm bowls of comfort, and all I want is something I can eat with a spoon. I’m already planning a tomato-based soup with a dollop of Sundried Tomato Pesto swirled in at the end. It’s such a simple way to layer up flavour and makes it feel a little bit special. Plus, it’s just what I need at the moment – easy, hearty, and soothing.
This time of year is also when I bring out my winter wardrobe, which, in true Taurus fashion, is all about soft textures and warm tones. Cable knits, brushed fabrics, long cardigans – and always, always my trusty NineWest heels. I know four-inch heels aren’t for everyone, but if you’re short like me, they’re practically a necessity. Funny how I wear darker colours in summer and go for creams, browns, and warm beiges in winter. It’s backwards, but it works, and it makes me feel grounded. Safe. I’ll never stop missing the roast dinners and hearty casseroles of Scotland, but I’m finding my rhythm here in Australia again, one batch of pesto at a time.
Mental Health
Let’s be honest for a second. The last few weeks have been rough. I’ve been in a bit of a slump with my mental health and while I’m not ready to go into every detail, I know part of it started when I got glutened in Adelaide. For anyone who doesn’t have celiac disease, it might not sound like a big deal, but it can completely mess you up – physically, mentally, emotionally. It knocked me off balance and it’s taken me a while to find my footing again.
But I’m getting there, bit by bit. Thanks to the incredible people in my life, the friends who check in, and the little things that make me smile. Like seeing new leaves on a plant, or finally finishing a task that’s been hanging over my head for weeks. And of course, food always plays a part in my healing process. Not in a big emotional eating kind of way, but more in the quiet comfort of cooking. Making this Sundried Tomato Pesto, spreading it on some toast with ricotta and prosciutto, sitting in the sun for ten minutes. It’s those tiny moments that bring me back to myself.
I know I’m not the only one who finds solace in simple things. When life feels overwhelming, having something easy and delicious on hand can make the difference between spiralling and surviving. This pesto is just one of my little lifelines. It doesn’t fix everything, but it helps. And sometimes, that’s enough.
Ingredient breakdown
Sun-dried tomatoes
The star of the show and the ingredient that makes this pesto so intensely flavoured. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are what you want here because they’re already soft, pliable, and full of concentrated flavour that blends easily. The dry-packed variety works too but needs to be soaked in warm water for ten to fifteen minutes first to soften them up enough to blitz properly. And don’t throw away the oil from the jar. It’s deeply flavoured from sitting with the tomatoes and herbs, and a small splash stirred through at the end adds an extra layer of richness that plain olive oil can’t replicate.
Pine nuts
Toasted pine nuts add the buttery, slightly sweet richness that balances the intense acidity and sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes. Toasting is essential here, not optional. Two to three minutes in a dry pan over medium heat until golden is all it takes, but you need to stay at the stove and keep them moving because they go from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds. Raw pine nuts taste flat and add very little, whereas toasted pine nuts add genuine depth.
Parmesan
Freshly grated Parmesan brings the salty, savoury backbone and helps bind the pesto into a thick, cohesive paste. Sun-dried tomatoes are quite sticky and dense, so the Parmesan works with the olive oil to bring everything together into something spreadable rather than a solid clump. Grate it yourself for the best result. Pre-grated Parmesan from a bag tends to be drier and doesn’t incorporate as smoothly.
Garlic
One to two cloves depending on how much punch you want, and the advice here is to start with one and taste before adding the second. Sun-dried tomatoes already have a very assertive, concentrated flavour and too much raw garlic can tip the whole pesto into being overwhelming rather than complex. One clove gives you background warmth. Two cloves gives you a proper garlic hit. Both are valid depending on what you’re using the pesto for.
Olive oil
Half a cup goes in with everything at the start and gets blitzed together rather than drizzled in slowly. Because sun-dried tomatoes are so dense and sticky, the olive oil needs to be in there from the beginning to help the processor break everything down without the motor struggling. If the pesto is still too thick after blitzing, add more olive oil gradually until it reaches a consistency you’re happy with. This pesto is meant to be thick and spreadable rather than loose, so don’t over-thin it.
Sea salt flakes
Just a small pinch because sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan are both already quite salty. Add it before blitzing, then taste at the end and adjust if needed. It’s much easier to add more salt than to fix an overseasoned pesto, so err on the conservative side initially.
Serve This With
- Tossed through hot pasta with a splash of pasta water
- Spread on toasted sourdough or stirred through risotto
- Dolloped on grilled chicken, lamb, or roasted vegetables
