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Elevate your pesto game with my sun dried tomato pesto. Made with 5 ingredients and ready in minutes, you’ll want to use it on everything!
Need more savory sauce recipes? Try my Pomodoro sauce, sugo, cottage cheese alfredo, and eel sauce next.
In my house, we’re pretty generous when it comes to sauces. When I need a sauce that’s miles above the rest, I make my sundried tomato pesto.
Also known as pesto rosso, I use oil-packed sundried tomatoes instead of basil to make a savory, aromatic sauce that’s layered with flavor. It’s so easy and so good, I’d honestly eat it with a spoon!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Intense, bold flavor. Sundried tomatoes are more concentrated in flavor than regular tomatoes, infusing a richer flavor into the pesto.
- Versatile. I often use it as a dip, spread, or sauce. It’s also a fabulous pizza base sauce too.
- Ready in minutes. Just add the ingredients to a food processor and blend away. It’s that simple!
- Perfect texture. It’s got the perfect balance of thickness and chunkiness, adding a complexity you don’t get from regular tomato sauce. Of course, if you like it thinner or thicker, it’s a simple fix.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Oh wow, this pesto took me a couple of minutes to make, and it is SO good. I love it through pasta or in a pasta salad” – Wadeem
Ingredients needed
- Sundried tomatoes. The key ingredient! Choose oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, not ones in water. The added oil gives the pesto a richer texture. I tested it without and it wasn’t as good.
- Pine nuts. The foundation of any good pesto. I like to use raw pine nuts, but if you love a really bold, nutty flavor, lightly toast them beforehand.
- Garlic. Cloves of fresh garlic, not garlic powder.
- Parmesan cheese. I always prefer freshly grated parmesan to the shelf-stable kind, and it makes all the difference in this recipe. And no, it does not make this recipe any more difficult!
- Extra virgin olive oil. To thin out the pesto. Other oils can be used, but nothing compares to the flavor of olive oil.
How to make sun dried tomato pesto
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Blend. In a high-speed blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients except the olive oil. Blend until combined.
Step 2- Add olive oil. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in while blending. Continue blending until thick and smooth.
Step 3- Rest and serve. Transfer the pesto to a bowl, let it sit for 30 minutes, then serve as desired.
Ways to use this pesto
I’ll be honest: I love my sun-dried tomato pesto on my morning toast with a couple of over easy eggs, but that’s only one way to enjoy this flavorful dip. Here are some more ideas:
- As a dip. Add it to a charcuterie board or with crudites, crackers, and chips.
- Over simply cooked protein. Jazz up my baked chicken legs, baked chicken breast, or even air fryer pork chops. It only needs a little bit to add tons of extra flavor.
- As a sandwich spread for my 2 ingredient bagels or air fryer grilled cheese.
- As a pasta sauce. Toss some through keto gnocchi, almond flour pasta, or healthy pasta salad.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Adjust the consistency. If you prefer really chunky pesto, reduce the amount of oil you add. Remember, you can continue to add it as needed
- Stop blending periodically to scrape down the sides of the blender. Trust me, this makes all the difference for the best flavor, because only specific ingredients tend to stick to the sides.
- Taste as you go, and add a pinch of salt as needed. DO NOT, and I repeat, do not add too much salt to begin with.
- Make it vegan. Swap the parmesan for nutritional yeast or vegan cheese.
Variations
- Swap the nuts. Pine nuts can be tricky to locate, so feel free to use cashews, walnuts, or Marcona almonds. For a nut-free recipe, use sunflower seeds.
- Add some greens. Missing the green flavor of basil pesto? Add baby spinach, arugula, or fresh basil leaves.
- Turn up the heat. Add a dash of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Get creative. If I have roasted sweet red peppers on hand, I like to chop up a few and add them to the pesto for more flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
To freeze: Store leftover pesto in an airtight jar and freeze for up to six months.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, homemade pesto is naturally gluten free as none of the ingredients contain gluten or wheat.
More homemade sauce recipes
- Peanut sauce
- Potsticker sauce
- 3-ingredient steak marinade
- Sugar-free ketchup
- Or any of my homemade sauce recipes
5-Ingredient Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
- In a high speed blender or food processor, add the sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. Blend until combined.
- Slowly drizzle the olive oil in, blending regularly. Continue blending until thick and smooth.
- Transfer the pesto into a bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally updated August 2022, updated and republished July 2024
I never tried sun dried tomatoes. It should be really tasty recipe!
Maravilhoso!
Wonderful!
I add sea salt to nearly everything too – a small amount enhances flavors! (hmm, we DID have this conversation already…). my Grandpa Z salted his French toast! some of the best I have ever tasted…
I recently made my own parmesan. this is happening soon.
….I am legit salting my French Toast moving forward.
What a genius idea Arman! Love that spicy kick and thanks for this delicious inspiration!
Thanks so much Abigail! It would go great with some rustic bread 😉
Arman, you literally solved one of my biggest pet peeves about pesto… that it didn’t pack enough heat! This seriously looks like an amazing recipe, and good thing we have enough sun dried tomatoes here to give this the good old college try 🙂
Right? That’s why I had to stop buying store bought! I’m jealous you guys have enough sun dried tomatoes- Those buggers are expensive!
Love pesto, love sundried tomatoes, love spicy…aka this recipe is perfection! Must make a batch this weekend! Plus an excuse to eat bread is always welcomed. 🙂
My perfect vehicle for pesto is any sort of sandwich… I add red pepper flakes to anything that stands still. Or cinnamon!
LOL. Anything that stands still. you are epic.
I add cayenne and red pepper flakes to everything too. Know what else is good? Making regular basil pesto and adding a bit of the juice from sun dried tomatoes. Adds a certain sweet-salty kick.
I love my some pesto so I’m thrilled you tossed sun-dried tomatoes into the mix and cayenne pepper. What a way to jazz it up, and yes I am doing jazz hands over this one.
Let’s get the jazz hands out.
Ramp it up….pesto styleZ.
Did you say sourdough?! 😀
Love pesto…let alone sundried tomato pesto!
Sounds so good. And, thanks for linking up to #RECIPEFRIDAY buddy. Have a great weekend 🙂
YES!!! Although this sourdough was probably nothing like your epic creations…they turned into a rock the next day!
Yum Yum Yum! I love pesto! My favorite way of eating pesto is on baguette or flatbread with mozzarella and fresh tomato on top. Grilled until the cheese is melted obviously! I am drooling. I need to stop talking about cheese and bread until I can have it again! And antipasti? Yes please! The more the marrier 😉
My spices are cinnamon, curry and chili. Every of my meals contains at least one of these three spices!
OMG. I’m not doing whole30 and now I’M craving that right now….oh man that is happening this weekend.
OH yes…curry. CURRY.
Umm pesto is definitely best on spoons… or fingers, fingers are good!! Very rarely does mine last long enough to actually cook with, but when it does I end up piling it on pizza 🙂
Hahahahaha. I used half in a recipe then ate the rest off the spoon. So. Good.
Yum! This looks terrific. I am a big fan of spice. Most of my meals involve red pepper flakes. Cinnamon also makes frequent appearances. I almost always add it to milk, cereal, and yogurt. Fresh homemade pasta is, hands down, the perfect vehicle for traditional basil pesto but your version looks like an ideal candidate for bread or as a sandwich spread. I bet a dollop would be tasty in an omelette or frittata as well. I finally got a mini food processor so now I can actually make this! 🙂
OH YAY! A mini food processor! It is delicious with eggs….just don’t salt them or you’ll be guzzling water like crazy.
Pesto made with almonds?! I need to try this! I usually avoid pesto because of my allergies to nuts, but almonds I can do. Cayenne, though, I canNOT do — this girl doesn’t handle spicy well. Cinnamon on ALL the things!
See the things I do for you? AmandaBallz, AmandaPesto, iAmanda.
Cinnamon steak?
The perfect vehicle for pesto for me is linguini but I’ve tried to branch out a bit recently. I put salt on everything but my favorite spice is usually cinnamon or garlic powder 🙂
Garlic salt….my favourite. I can’t believe I forgot that! Try pesto mixed in a bagel….I have a pesto scone recipe coming up!
Every savoury dish needs cayenne pepper and salt. Every dish – sweet or savoury – needs salt. No surprise I’m constantly running low on cayenne – I’ve actually been adding to my morning oat bran, too, lately. Mexican hot chocolate oats or: fuelling the pepper addiction.
Sundried tomatoes are the best. I wish I’d taken one million bags back home with me when I was on vacation in Greece years ago.
So true- I eat my oatmeal with the salt shaker next to it.
Same here 😀 .
again, there you go with flavor combos that the kiwi is obsessed with! and he loves pesto. Are you guys related?
Yes. I’m his Latte coloured bruddah
This looks amazing! I love pesto and sun dried tomatoes. I’m actually making shrimp marinated in pesto on the BBQ tonight.
Fresh bakery bread is definitely one of the best vehicles for pesto. Either that or pasta!
Shrimp + pesto = match made in heaven. This pesto is so good, you could eat it off stale bread (just lick off the pesto.) Why am I so smart?
Do you need a reason for sour dough bread? That’s my absolute favorite, so I don’t need a reason. Sundried tomatoes are one of my favorite so I know I’d love this!
Seriously, I nearly ate the entire loaf. Then I remembered I was on the atkins diet.
We’ll hello my new pesto! Well, that’s if the sundried tomatoes make the blitzer, oh I love those things, straight from the jar – any antipasto really! Only just been introduced to grilled artichoke antipasto – yum!
Pesto and eggs – match made in heaven! Also spread on a cauliflower crust pizza!
And I love spice! Real spice, when it is there for flavour as well as heat!
Mmmm I made a pesto and parmesan cauliflower crust pizza once…it was ridiculously amazing!
Errr forget the original pesto- I want me some of this variety…YUM! I could eat sun dried tomatoes by the bucket..well any kind of antipasti really! Do you guys have the chilli sauce Encona available over there? Please look out for it next time you’re in the supermarket- as a fan of chilli flakes, this will take your meals (and spice threshold) to another level!!
I’ve never heard of it, but I will be on the look out- I am a huge fan of chilli oil (the one from Dumpling shops…oh man!)
Pesto is so delicious! A spicy almond version intrigues me… Pesto potatos or salmon is the bomb diggity!
OH YES. I love dipping pesto into potatoes and have a recipe I’m working on for a cold potato salad doused in…..pesto. I’ll make it upon your arrival.
I’m daydreaming about this right now. And probably the rest of the day. THANKS.
Those are the best kind of dreams. Savoury dreams.
Hey you don’t have to defend yourself buying a loaf of bread. I totally support your bread decisions. 🙂 And you know how I feel about pesto…so. freaking. good!! Love it!
Confession- I eat pesto by the spoon. Sue me…with bread.
YUM! I love pesto on all my burgers, pastas, and on chicken!
YUM- pesto + chicken = epic.
I love pesto on a burger or grilled chicken sandwich… Yum! But nothing really beats dunking fresh bread into an amazing pesto! I also add red pepper and cayenne pepper to most dishes. I love spicy food!
Spicy food is the best- I would buy shares in red pepper and cayenne if I could!