May 1, 2010

Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

If you’re wondering what that orange stuff is in the jar, it’s the SDT-soaked olive oil that solidified after being in the fridge.

Once upon a trip to Costco, I bought a giant jar of sun-dried tomatoes on a whim. After using them off and on throughout our six years of marriage (not this exact jar, mind you) my husband finallytells me that he doesn’t like them. He doesn’t like chewing on a chunk of one, but he likes the flavor it gives the dish that they’re in.Soooo. . .I threw a third of the jar into the food processor with some Romano cheese and pine nuts and made pesto. And because I had a big bowl of pesto, I tried to find uses for it over the next couple of weeks. Thus, Perrys’ Plate’s Sun-Dried Tomato Week was born. Every day for five days next week (starting Monday), I’ll post my SDT creations. (Gotta watch my fingers as I type that. Talking about STD is not a good topic for a food blog.)

I’ll also add links to those recipes right here for future reference . . .

Creamy Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Fettucine
Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
Sun-Dried Tomato Tuna Melts
Spinach, Bacon, & Feta Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Swiss Chard and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet Mac (bonus day 6!)

Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced thinly (I bought mine julienne)
1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, cheese, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse/blend until thoroughly combined. Drizzle a little oil in if it gets to thick to process.

Makes about 2 1/2 - 3 cups of pesto.

Nat's Notes:
1. I thought the tomatoes did a great job of providing flavor, but feel free to add garlic and fresh herbs as you see fit.
2. To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them for 4-5 minutes or until they become fragrant and turn golden brown.

from Perry's Plate

30 Minutes and Under, Homemade Staples, Paleo/Primal, Perry's Plate Originals, Vegetarian

10 comments »

10 Responses to “Easy Homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto”

1

grace — May 2, 2010 @ 10:28 am

when i'm perusing a menu, there are certain ingredients in dish descriptions that automatically catch my eye and place that dish in the running for my order. sun-dried tomatoes are one of those ingredients. i LOVE 'em and i'm SO looking forward to your week of recipes!

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2

Kathryn — May 2, 2010 @ 4:40 pm

Oooo!! I' excited to see how you use your sun dried tomatoes! I still have a few jars left from my garden last summer :) and I'm always trying to figure out what to make with them.

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3

lucysmom — May 3, 2010 @ 1:31 am

Seems like it would be really bitter and tart. Good idea though.

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4

Natalie @ Perrys' Plate — May 3, 2010 @ 2:11 am

lucysmom – Really? I didn't think it was, but you could always add some sugar to fit your tastes. Pesto really isn't meant to be eaten alone anyway and mixing it with other things calms the flavors down a bit.

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5

Christina — May 11, 2010 @ 8:42 pm

I made this last night in preparation for your Creamy Chicken Pasta that I plan to make tonight. It was soooo delicious I almost ate the whole thing with a spoon. Not bitter at all!

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6

Linz — May 13, 2010 @ 3:51 pm

Um, were we separated at birth? :) I saw you on Tasty Kitchen, and when I started reading your sundried tomato recipes, I was hooked! Great idea! Have you tried Ree's adaptation of Ina Garten's Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad? It is one of my favorite things to eat. Thanks for all the great ideas for integrating one of my favorite foods into this weekends menu!!!

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Pingback: 10 Easy Recipes for Basil Pesto - Uses for Pesto - Cookie and Kate
7

Haley — June 20, 2012 @ 10:56 am

This is delicious! I am trying to resist eating by the spoonful! I made your creamy chicken fettuccine dish with this last night and the tuna melt with it for lunch and really enjoyed both. Thanks for the great recipes!

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