Stirred into freshly cooked pasta, lavishly spread onto fish and pizza, or simply used as a dip, this pesto is jam-packed full of delicious, fresh flavours…
Pesto has so much flavour, and so many uses, its a weekly staple in our house. I like to use Sun blush tomatoes as they add an amazing depth of flavour, complimenting the other traditional pesto ingredients perfectly. Sun dried tomatoes could be used instead, but I personally prefer sun blushed (or sun ripened), as the flavour is less harsh.
I made this pesto yesterday and served simply stirred through some rice and quinoa flour spaghetti, which was so good. I find that white pasta can sometime cause me to feel bloated, so this was a brilliant substitute and tasted just the same. The spaghetti I used was Organic Rice Quinoa Spaghetti by Biofair (which I bought from Ocado), and is gluten and egg free for those who are interested in finding alternatives. There are lots of great pasta alternatives on the market now, so its worth shopping around to find your favourite.
The 80ml olive oil stated in the recipe is intended as a rough guide. I would recommend adding a little at a time, until getting to the desired consistency. Remember that it’s easier to add more than to take away, so go easy! The oil dressing that the tomatoes come in is amazing, and I often use this with the olive oil in the final stage. This oil has a fantastic flavour from all the added herbs, and is a great addition to the pesto. I often save these oils, and use as salad dressings, or stir into sauces as they have such intense flavours.
Enjoy!
Sun Blush Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
- 145g Sunblush or Sun dried Tomatoes
- 25g Fresh Basil
- 45g Parmesan, grated
- 40g Pine Nuts
- 1 Garlic Clove, roughly chopped
- 80ml Olive Oil (or a mix of olive oil & oil from tomatoes)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Method
Place all ingredients, except the oil into a food processor and blend until everything is chopped and combined together.
Keeping the food processor running, gradually add the oil until you reach your desired consistency. You are looking for a loose, thick paste.
You are ready to go!
Fiona Lyne - A lover of healthy living, interiors, fitness, fashion and food.