Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

Hello! Welcome, everyone. Have you ever had sun dried tomato pesto? I couldn’t recall if and when I had ever had it, actually. So I thought I’d make up a batch and put together a couple recipes that really let the sun dried tomatoes shine their brightest. Sun dried tomato pesto is super simple to make and it’s such a flavorful component to add to all sorts of recipes, both mains and appetizers. Today I have Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta, so let’s get to it!

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

This recipe will make 2 cups of sun dried tomato pesto. Today we are using about 1.5 cups for this pasta, and tomorrow I will have a great pizza with the remaining half cup of pesto. I have two 7.5-ounce jars of julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil. Pour the entire contents of the two jars into the bowl of a food processor. To that, add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and 1/4 cup of ground Parmesan cheese.

Process the sun dried tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts until the mixture resembles a thick paste. Then drizzle in olive oil with the processor running until a smoother, looser consistency is reached. Transfer the sun dried tomato pesto to a jar or airtight container.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

I am using a tubular fusilli pasta shape; the corkscrew shape will collect and hang on to the pesto really well. Cook 16-ounces of pasta in 4 quarts of water (salt with 2 tablespoons of Diamond kosher salt when water is boiling). Cook according to package directions for al dente doneness (about 8-9 minutes). Scoop out 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Then drain the pasta. In the same pot used to cook the pasta, transfer 1.5 cups of the sun dried tomato pesto. Turn the burner to medium-low.

Pour in about 1/2-1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and stir it into the pesto to create a loose sauce. Then add the drained pasta back to the pot and vigorously stir to coat the pasta in the sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Add more pasta water as needed and keep vigorously stirring to create a shiny, creamy sauce coating the pasta. Cut the heat and that’s it!

How to Serve

You can serve this any number of ways; I am going to serve the pasta on a bed of baby super greens. The heat from pasta will lightly wilt the greens. Serving it this way is my way out of making a separate side salad. I will top the pasta with quartered cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives and fresh basil leaves.

I really love this pasta! The sun dried tomato pesto is vibrant and super flavorful. Because we mixed it with the pasta cooking water, the overall dish has a creaminess to it that you get from the starchy water. The addition of fresh tomatoes is a nice contrast with the concentrated flavor of the sun dried tomatoes. The black olives add a mellow salty bite.

Thank you all so much for stopping by today, I do hope you make the sun dried tomato pesto. And this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is a great way to use it! It would also be wonderful as an appetizer, stirred into hummus or softened cream cheese. It would also make a wonderful spread for sandwiches. If you want a basil pest recipe, check out my Roasted Garlic Basil Pesto.

Have a great day! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

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Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

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Dinner, Main Course, Side, Appetizer, Lunch – American/Italian

By Kelly Djalali – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 10 Minutes – Total Time: 25 Minutes

Sun dried tomato pesto is vibrant and flavorful; This recipe mixes sun dried tomato pesto with fusilli pasta, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and black olives.

Ingredients

• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
• 2 7 to 8-oz. Jars of Julienned Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil
• 1/4 cup Ground Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
• Olive Oil
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
• 16 oz. Fusilli Pasta, cooked to al dente
• 1.5 cups Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
• 2 cups Pasta Cooking Water
• How to Serve
• 5 oz. Washed Greens
• 1/2 cup Quartered Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Sliced Black Olives
• Fresh Basil Leaves

Instructions

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

1

Pour the entire jar contents of the sun dried tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor. To that, add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and 1/4 cup of ground Parmesan cheese.

2

Process the sun dried tomatoes, cheese and pine nuts until the mixture resembles a thick paste. Then drizzle in olive oil with the processor running until a smoother, looser consistency is reached. Transfer the sun dried tomato pesto to a jar or airtight container.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

3

Cook 16-ounces of pasta in 4 quarts of salted water according to package directions for al dente doneness.

4

Scoop out 2 cups of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Then drain the pasta.

5

In the same pot used to cook the pasta, transfer 1.5 cups of the sun dried tomato pesto. Turn the burner to medium-low.

6

Pour in about 1/2-1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and stir it into the pesto to create a loose sauce. Then add the drained pasta back to the pot and vigorously stir to coat the pasta in the sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Add more pasta water as needed and keep vigorously stirring to create a shiny, creamy sauce coating the pasta. Cut the heat and that's it!

How to Serve

7

You can serve this any number of ways; I am going to serve the pasta on a bed of baby super greens.

8

Top the pasta with quartered cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives and fresh basil leaves.

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