This aromatic Pesto Rosso recipe, also known as Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, is easy to make and a must-have in every kitchen! It’s one of the most flavorful Italian pesto variations, perfect as a pasta sauce, dip, or sandwich spread.
There are many different types of pesto, and everyone has a favorite. For me, it’s definitely Pesto Rosso! Why? I love sun-dried tomatoes in all their forms, and I find them particularly delicious and convenient in pesto!
Sun-dried tomatoes are slowly dried in the sun, giving them a very intense and slightly sweet flavor. Perfect for adding that special touch to any dish!
Compared to the classic green basil pesto, I find Pesto Rosso to be a bit more intense and sweeter. It’s quick to prepare with just a few ingredients, keeps well in the fridge for a week, and can be used as a condiment in many recipes. Whether it’s used as a pasta sauce, sandwich spread (e.g., with grilled veggies and burrata), in wraps, on pizza, with hummus, on roasted vegetables, or simply as a dip with bread and veggie sticks.
The best thing about homemade Pesto Rosso is knowing exactly what’s in it. No hidden additives, just pure, fresh ingredients. You can customize the sun-dried tomato pesto to your taste by adding more or less garlic, varying the types of nuts, or experimenting with different herbs. Plus, you can blend it as smooth or as chunky as you like.
If you love recipes with sun-dried tomatoes, you should try these creamy sun-dried tomato pasta, this Italian pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes, or arugula salad with sun-dried tomatoes!
A little tip: This Italian Pesto Variation also makes a great gift. Put it in a nice jar, tie a ribbon around it, and you have a personal and delicious gift for the next occasion.
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Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Always use olive oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for pesto. They are especially flavorful and easy to blend since they are very soft.
- Oil: Here’s the trick! Use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Alternatively, you can use extra virgin olive oil.
- Almonds: Give the pesto a great crunch and lots of flavor. Be sure to toast them first. I prefer almonds over pine nuts for red pesto, plus pine nuts can be very expensive – a win for your budget! 😉
- Garlic: A must in pesto! Adds a mild spiciness. If you can’t tolerate raw garlic, you could sauté it briefly in some olive oil.
- Balsamic Vinegar: A splash of acidity rounds out the flavor of the pesto.
- Sugar: Just a pinch enhances the flavor. It’s optional though, it tastes great without it too. You can also use maple syrup.
- Salt & Pepper: For seasoning.
Visual Step-by-Step Guide
Making Pesto Rosso is super easy! 😉
- Toast the almonds in a non-stick pan without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a fine pesto. → You can also use an immersion blender.
- Season to taste with more salt, pepper, sugar, or olive oil.
- Transfer to a clean jar, store in the fridge, and use as desired.
Aline’s Tip: Use the oil in which the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in to make the pesto. Why? Try the oil, and you’ll know! Since the tomatoes have been in the oil for a long time, the oil has taken on a wonderfully slightly sweet aroma of the tomatoes. Plus, it’s the best way to use up the oil – Zero Food Waste! 🙌
Variations
- Nuts: Instead of almonds, use hazelnuts or walnuts. It also tastes great with pine nuts or cedar nuts (the cheaper option).
- Fresh Herbs: Add a handful of fresh basil leaves or rosemary to the blender.
- Red Pepper Flakes: For a bit of heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Cheese: If you like, you can mix in some finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino cheese. I usually prepare it without cheese because it already has tons of flavor, making it a vegan Pesto Rosso! 😉
Storage Instructions
To keep your homemade pesto sauce fresh for as long as possible, you should store it in a clean jar (preferably rinsed briefly with boiling water), cover it with olive oil, and keep it in the refrigerator.
To make it last as long as possible, you should cover the pesto with more olive oil every time you use it. 😉 Alternatively, you can freeze it in small portions. Fill it in ice cube trays, once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.
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📖 Recipe
Pesto Rosso (Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto)
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
- ½ cup almonds
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- ½ cup oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, or olive oil, see notes
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the almonds in a non-stick pan without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a fine pesto. → You can also use an immersion blender.
- Season to taste with more salt, pepper, sugar, or olive oil.
- Transfer the pesto to a clean jar, store in the fridge, and use as desired.
Notes
- Using the oil, in which the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in, adds extra flavor to your pesto. Plus, it’s an excellent way to use it up. ➝ You can mix it with olive oil if there isn’t enough oil in the jar.
- Keeps fresh for at least one week if stored in the fridge. Or freeze in small portions.
- Cheese: If you like, you can mix in some finely grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino cheese.
- Nuts: Instead of almonds, use hazelnuts or walnuts. It also tastes great with pine nuts or cedar nuts (the cheaper option).
- Fresh Herbs: Add a handful of fresh basil leaves or rosemary to the blender.
Nutrition
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Hi there. Just made this recipe. It’s lovely but a little too sweet for me. I think next time I’ll leave out the sugar. Very full of flavour. Will make again. Thank you.
So glad to hear, Shauna! 💕
Hi
can I store the sauce for more than one week in the fridge? and is it possible to store it on the shelf after boiling?
Hi Roula, if you want your pesto to keep longer in the fridge, make sure to fully cover the pesto with olive oil. I would never boil this pesto, as it would alter its taste too much and therefore can’t give you any recommendations.
I just made this today and it makes a lovely thick pesto! I didn’t have any almonds so tried with cashews, and the result was quite a chunky texture. I’ll have to try again when I have some almonds!
I really loved the flavour – I used 1-2 cloves of garlic since I preferred the stronger flavour of the tomato 🙂
Thank you for this recipe – it was so clear and easy to follow!
Hi Sophie, I am so glad you like my sun-dried pesto recipe! Thank you for your honest comment! ❤️
This pesto really is best made with almonds, as described in the recipe. 😉 If you like your pesto smoother, pulse a few more times until it has the consistency you like.
All the best,
Aline