Sun-dried tomato Pesto
I love pesto because it marks the start of summer and the warmer months. You can of course make pesto in the winter, but basil then is limp and sad compared to its vibrant self in the warmer months.
I use pesto in many different ways, whether it’s as a spread in sandwiches, pesto pasta, or adding a little in a stew.. the mixture is so full of flavour that whatever you add it to will become even more delicious.
Tip: This pesto is not nut or dairy free, but both components can be changed. Pine nuts are usually expensive and if you’re allergic it can easily be switched out with sunflower seeds. If you don’t have Parmesan it can be switched out for other hard cheeses like: Grana Padano or Pecorino. You can also create a milder pesto by adding ricotta instead, just make sure to use up the pesto quickly as ricotta can turn bad fast. For a vegan alternative, try using 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast, adding more if you need to- using nooch may make the mix dry, so adding a little extra boiling water may help with consistency.
prep time: 5 minutes
Makes: roughly 1 cup of pesto
Ingredients
1 cup (70g) sun-dried tomatoes (dry-packed/not in oil- if using in oil, drain and squeeze as much oil out as possible)
1/4 cup (3g) fresh basil
1/4 cup (30g) pine nuts/sunflower seeds
1 big clove of garlic
1/3 cup or less (40g) parmesan, cut into chunks
2 tbsp boiling water
1/4 cup (50ml) olive oil
Method
1. In a blender add parmesan chunks and blitz until it looks like grated parmesan. Add nuts and garlic, blend until all pieces are a uniform size.
2. Pulse the sun dried tomato with the cheese mix until it breaks down into small pieces, add in basil, boiling water and oil, pulse until the mixture becomes a thick paste.
3. Store pesto in a jar, and add a thin layer of olive oil on top to seal the mixture. If not, the mix will oxidise and go off quicker than it should. Keep in the fridge.
*I don’t add any salt into the pesto as the tomatoes and parm make it salty enough.
Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
This pasta may not seem like it would be creamy, but the nuts and cheese emulsify with the water to create a luscious sauce. Try making it with fusilli or any other short pasta where the sauce can cling into it properly.
prep/cooking time: 7-12 minutes
serves: 2-3 people
Ingredients
4 tbsp or more Sun-dried tomato pesto
230g pasta
1 cup pasta cooking water
Method
1. In a pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta 1 minute under al dente.
2. When the pasta is 1 minutes under, Scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid and set aside. Drain the pasta and add it into a saucepan.
3. To the pasta, add the pesto and a quarter of the pasta cooking water, mix until the pesto emulsifies into the water. Turn the heat up to high, tossing the mix constantly to properly coat each individual pasta with the pesto sauce. If the sauce is too thick add more pasta cooking water until it is to your desired consistency.