EASY SUN-DRIED TOMATO BASIL PESTO
I love pesto, especially sun-dried tomato basil pesto. I don’t love the cost of pine nuts, though, so this recipe has a little surprise. This easy recipe holds well in the refrigerator, but you’ll want to use it all in a week because it tastes so good.
+This pesto would pair nicely with a Petite Syrah or Chardonnay.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (I prefer almonds to pine nuts because they are less expensive and easy to find at any grocery store)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup olive oil
PREPARATION
Add sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, basil, slivered almonds and garlic to your food processor. Run your processor and slowly add olive oil until everything is combined into a smooth paste. This will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks in an airtight container.
When using the pesto on your pasta, reserve ½ cup of your cooking water and combine ¾ cup of pesto, add to drained pasta and toss over low heat to coat the pasta.
If you are cooking a single serving of pasta, reserve a tablespoon of the liquid and combine with a heaping tablespoon of pesto for each serving.
If you are going for an all out homemade meal, use this pasta with your own homemade pasta! We have a great recipe HERE It doesn’t have to be difficult, give it a try.
As always, happy cooking!
