Classic Red Pesto (Sun Dried Tomato Pesto)

This classic red pesto or pesto rosso is a flavorful and versatile condiment that you can make with just a few simple ingredients.

Sauces are the spice of life. Adding a sauce or two to a meal or appetizer spread can take the overall effect from good to amazing.

This red pesto is even more flavorful that you would imagine. Best part is it's made with just a few simple ingredients with a few pulses in a food processor.

Ingredients

Red pesto is really similar to green basil pesto but instead of basil, you use sun dried tomatoes.

Other than that swap, it's a lot of what you'd expect to see in a pesto - garlic, a hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino, and of course pesto wouldn't be pesto without pine nuts.

Here are some details to help you choose the right ingredients:

Sun dried tomatoes

There are some different types of sundried tomatoes on the market. Usually the biggest difference is whether they are preserved in oil, or sold "dry" i.e. not in any oil or other liquid. Sun dried tomatoes in oil are ideal for red pesto since they are more moist and lend themselves better to a sauce.

You can also use some of the oil they come in to make the sauce more viscous if that's your preference. If you use "dry" tomatoes, you may need to add some additional olive oil to the mixture to make it to your preferred viscosity.

Hard cheese (parmesan or pecorino)

The traditional choice for green basil pesto is

Olive oil

A bunch of dry ingredients do not a sauce make - so you need to add some liquid to make the sauce, well...saucy. Olive oil is a good option because (being a fat) it will mix well with the other fat-based ingredients. It will also help the red pesto last longer.

Of course other types of neutral flavored oil are also fine. You could use a bit of water in a pinch but this could cause some separation and the pesto won't last as long. Just FYI.

Pine nuts

Pine nuts add a lovely nutty flavor and give the pesto that characteristic texture and bite. You can also substitute other nuts like walnuts, almonds or even hazelnuts.

Garlic

Fresh garlic plays very well with sun dried tomato and really makes the other flavors in this pesto pop.

Balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is a nice addition in red pesto because it enhances the depth and umami flavor of tomatoes while also adding a pop of acid that brings some brightness to contrast with (and likewise enhance) the fat in the oil and cheese.

If you don't have balsamic you can try substituting a few drops of another flavored vinegar like red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. White vinegar may introduce too much of a vinegary flavor so I would suggest to avoid that particular substitution.

Equipment

You don't need anything other than a food processor, blender or even an immersion blender.

if you don't have an electric mixer it will take a bit more elbow grease to make red pesto. Your only option then it to prepare it the traditional way with a mortar and pestle. More labor and time intensive but maybe also a bit more satisfying for those that like hands-on activities.

Instructions

To make the red pesto really couldn't be simpler. You just throw all the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor or mixer etc. and mix.

Add more oil as needed to make a nice sauce consistency. For me that's a sauce that is thick enough to coat a spoon but thin enough to pour in a continuous stream (i.e. to be able to drizzle it).

Maybe it's different for you. It can also depend on how you want to use it. If you're using it as a dip or spread for crostini maybe you want it thinner than if you're tossing it with pasta.

If you're unsure then the best way to get the right consistency is to start without the oil and add a tablespoon at a time until the sauce is how you like it.

Serving Suggestion

Red pesto is a great sauce to have in your recipe collection. Adding it to pasta is the simplest and most obvious use. But you can do a lot more.

Why stop at pasta - you can add it to other carb bases like potatoes (for example smashed potatoes with red pesto or mixed with mayo to make sun dried tomato aioli).

Sun dried tomato made into pesto is so flavorful you can use it as a marinade for chicken.

Alternatively add a spoonful to homemade salad dressing to add a layer of flavor. It's also really nice as an accompaniment to a charcuterie board or mixed appetizers.

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