Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto

In a strange turn of events, I happened to have a day completely to myself at the house today.  I know, you are hating on me right now.  I was thinking of a conversation around the dinner table last night during which the idea of making a sun dried tomato pesto came up.  What?... That's not what y'all talk about at dinner? So today, I went rummaging around in the pantry to see what was on hand.  Turns out, I was totally in luck with this!  I think it's a little late in the season for the basil in my garden, but the recent days of non-stop rain have miraculously revived them.

This whole pesto comes together in less than 5 minutes and requires zero chopping, mincing, or dicing.  You literally throw everything together in a little food processor and press the button.  And OH MY LORD, this pesto is FABULOUS on some little toasted French bread crostini!!!  You must try it!! 

Click for Printable Recipe 
Ingredients: (makes about 1/3 cup)
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used the ones in the pouch, not in oil)
  • 1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Tbsp pine nuts
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Directions: 
Dump all the ingredients in a "mini" food processor and puree.  Aside from grating the cheese, I didn't chop or cut one thing.  Could that be easier?!

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1 Tbsp fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 Tbsp pine nuts (feel free to substitute walnuts if you prefer)

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt
black pepper
All the yummies.....

Give it a whirl!

Yum! That was 5 minutes well spent for tons of flavor!
Find some nice toasted Crostini and a glass of your favorite red... 

Food Nerd Notes:
"Crostini" means "little toasts" in Italian.  The term generally refers to an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or tasted bread with toppings on them.  The toppings usually range from cheeses, meats, vegetables, or just olive oil and herbs.  The Crostini are usually made from French or Italian baguettes.  Along with bruschetta (my favorite appetizer in the world), Crostini is thought to originated in medieval times when it was typical for the Italian peasants to eat their meals on slices of bread rather than using plates.

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto on Parmesan Crusted Caprese Chicken



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