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    Home » CONDIMENTS

    Easy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Recipe (Pesto Rosso)

    Modified: Apr 11, 2023 by Susan Pridmore · This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments

    This is my twist on the easy and versatile pesto rosso made with sun-dried tomatoes. My version includes chopped red onion and a little red wine vinegar in addition to the traditional olive oil, basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

    Like any homemade pesto, such as basil pesto, it comes together in just a few minutes in the food processor or mini chopper, and has a ton of uses.

    Jump to Recipe
    Three small jars of sun dried tomato pesto.

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    Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.

    Jump to:
    • 👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works
    • ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
    • 🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
    • 🔪 Recommended Equipment
    • 💡Ideas for Possible Variations
    • 👩‍🍳 Uses For Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
    • 🤷‍♀️ Pesto Rosso FAQ
    • 📇 More Italian Food
    • Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (Pesto Rosso)

    This sun dried tomato pesto is the perfect condiment to have in the refrigerator for those nights that you can't contemplate making dinner.

    👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

    • The red onion adds a bit of sweetness to the dish that blends fabulously with the sun dried tomatoes.
    • Adding a touch of red wine vinegar balances the deep savory of the sun dried tomatoes, without losing any of the umami of the condiment.

    ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

    • It's ready in about 10 minutes and keep for at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
    • No fancy ingredients.
    • No cooking required at all.
    • Just like with a classic basil pesto, there are lots of ways to use it ranging from pasta to tossing it with grains or roasted vegetables.
    • It adds a little burst of savory umami to dishes that taste a little bland.
    • Great make-ahead recipe.
    Ingredients for making sun dried tomato pesto.

    🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes

    For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Red onion
    • Garlic - either garlic cloves or garlic paste in a tube.
    • Basil leaves
    • Pine nuts
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Red wine vinegar
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

    🔪 Recommended Equipment

    • Fine mesh strainer - for draining the sun dried tomatoes.
    • Mini chopper or food processor

    Four process shots for making sun dried tomato pesto.

    💡Ideas for Possible Variations

    For something so simple, there are a lot of variations to this tomato pesto recipe. And I encourage you to experiment and make it your own. Here are some ideas:

    • Cut the basil in half, and add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or marjoram.
    • Use the oil the sun dried tomatoes soak in.
    • Add kalamata olives to make it a blend of an olive tampenade and pesto.
    • My variation is adding a little red wine vinegar and red onion, but you can nix them without making any other changes, if that's your preference.
    • Substitute asiago cheese or manchego cheese for the Parmesan.
    • Use a different kind of nut in place of the pine nuts, such as walnuts or almonds.
    • Substitute lemon juice for the vinegar.

    👩‍🍳 Uses For Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

    • Stir into your favorite pasta, rice or whole grains (I'm thinking farro here!).
    • Add to a vinaigrette for a salad.
    • Use as a dip as part of an appetizer tray with cheese.
    • Spoon over steamed vegetables or a baked potato.
    • Smear some on your next pizza, or add to the pizza sauce.
    • Spread on freshly baked bread with a little olive oil.
    • Freeze it in ice cube trays to add to soup, omelets and casseroles.
    • Use in place of tomato paste in recipes using a 1-1 ratio.
    • Add to your favorite store-bought pasta sauce.

    🤷‍♀️ Pesto Rosso FAQ

    What's the best way to store this pesto?

    Store in an airtight container, such as jars. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. Pouring a thin layer of olive oil on top of it will keep it fresh even longer.

    How much pesto does this recipe make?

    This recipe makes 1 ½ cups of pesto.

    📇 More Italian Food

    By the way, another veggie sauce kind of pasta, ready in under 30 minutes, is this roasted red pepper penne, tossed with broccoli rabe. And now, let's get into this sun-dried tomato pesto pasta.

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    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Save Recipe
    Three small jars of sun dried tomato pesto.
    5 from 15 votes

    Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (Pesto Rosso)

    Easy and versatile pesto made with sun-dried tomatoes, chopped red onion, olive oil, basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and red wine vinegar. This recipe makes 1 ½ cups of pesto. One serving is 2 tablespoons of pesto for the nutrition calculations.
    Print Recipe Save Saved! Pin Recipe Add to Recipe Collection Go to Collections Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time10 minutes mins
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: Any
    Keyword: pesto, sun-dried tomato pesto
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 167.9kcal
    Author: Susan Pridmore
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • fine mesh strainer to drain the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
    • Mini chopper or food processor (using a small bowl)

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
    • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • ¼ cup pine nuts
    • ¼ cup coarsely chopped red onion
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

    Instructions

    • Drain the sun dried tomatoes.
    • Pile the sun dried tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, onion, garlic cloves, salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor or mini chopper fitted with a metal blade.
      If using a food processor with a feed tube, stream the olive oil into the pesto while the food processor is running until the pesto is completely blended and emulsified.
      If using a mini chopper without a feed tube, add ½ of the olive oil, and buzz the mini chopper until mostly chopped. Remove the lid and add the remaining olive oil. Run the mini chopper until the pesto is completely blended and emulsified.
      Add the red wine vinegar and buzz a few times.
    • Serve at room temperature if using as part of an appetizer tray or store in an airtight container, such as a jar, in the refrigerator. When storing, I recommend covering the pesto with a little olive oil. This keeps it from drying out on the top.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 167.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.1g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 12.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 3.6mg | Sodium: 142.2mg | Potassium: 687.3mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 7.4g | Vitamin A: 307.9IU | Vitamin C: 8.3mg | Calcium: 64.1mg | Iron: 2mg
    « How to Make the Best Scones + Strawberry Scone Recipe
    Roasted Red Pepper Penne »

    About Susan Pridmore

    Susan Pridmore is an award-winning cookbook author and the owner of The Wimpy Vegetarian. She has been featured in Huffington Post, Healthline, BuzzFeed, and has written for and developed recipes for The Food Network and Parade Magazine. She is professionally trained and focuses on easy vegetarian recipes for busy lives, bread-baking, and tips for new vegetarians. Susan lives in the mountains in Lake Tahoe with her husband and mini-labradoodle.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      August 02, 2015 at 10:45 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for the nice recipe. Have a good week!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 02, 2015 at 10:53 pm

        Thanks so much! I really loved it!

        Reply
    2. Suze

      August 03, 2015 at 3:41 am

      5 stars
      HI Susan! This looks great (and easy!). Any idea how much of the 1 cup yield you might use on a 2-3 oz serving of pasta? Or how many ice cubes worth? Thanks much!! (I see a potential camping meal here!) 😉

      Reply
      • Amanda E

        August 03, 2015 at 12:27 pm

        Hi! I generally fully fill 6 standard ice cubes with the 1 cup batch - and then once frozen I pop them in to ziploc bags.

        Reply
        • Suze

          August 03, 2015 at 3:21 pm

          I do that also Amanda. But then how many do you use for a serving?

          Reply
          • Amanda E

            August 03, 2015 at 3:52 pm

            1 cube for 4 servings (1/2 lb pasta) - will generally add a touch more olive oil after tossing.

            Reply
            • Suze

              August 03, 2015 at 4:58 pm

              Perfect Amanda! Thanks so much! I will make my cubes a bit smaller! 😉

              Reply
              • The Wimpy Vegetarian

                August 05, 2015 at 12:05 pm

                5 stars
                I'm so glad you guys commented back and forth on this. For me, 1/2 pound pasta used a little more than 2 tablespoons, but feel free to do it do your own taste preferences. It would be PERFECT for camping!!

                Reply
                • Suze

                  August 05, 2015 at 2:22 pm

                  Feeling left out of the loop, eh Susan? LOL!! A normal "cube" would be about two tablespoons, so for 4 oz of pasta, for 2 people, I'm thinking 1 cube will be enough. I'll report back! 🙂

    3. Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

      August 03, 2015 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      Love this, now I need to go and buy some more Sun Dried tomatoes so I can make this for me. Great SRC choice.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:05 pm

        Thanks Sid! It was so, so good!!

        Reply
    4. danielle

      August 03, 2015 at 7:36 am

      5 stars
      It sounds so simple and so delicious!!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:06 pm

        Lunch was ready in the amount of time it took to cook the pasta :-). And it reheated beautifully for dinner!!

        Reply
    5. Sarah

      August 03, 2015 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      Oh this looks good! I think it would be amazing on a pizza.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:07 pm

        It would be wonderful on a pizza!! Thanks Sarah!

        Reply
    6. Leslie Limon

      August 03, 2015 at 10:57 am

      5 stars
      What a great recipe to have on hand!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:08 pm

        I completely agree, Leslie. I love having condiments like this on hand for quick and easy meals!!

        Reply
    7. Amanda E

      August 03, 2015 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      I just made a batch last week and still have a few ice cubes in the freezer for next time.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:09 pm

        I absolutely loved it. I keep some condiments on hand for easy vegetarian dinners, and this one will be one I'll always have on hand. I can see so many uses for it!! Thanks so much - and I loved going through your blog!!

        Reply
    8. Leigh

      August 03, 2015 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      What a great recipe to whip up during the week. Love the pop of red!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:10 pm

        Perfect for a weeknight meal too during the school year!

        Reply
    9. Anna

      August 03, 2015 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      That sounds really good. I will have to buy some sundried tomatoes soon just so I can try it.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:11 pm

        I really highly recommend this recipe. It's perfect when you're in a rush for dinner (which happens regularly here :-))!

        Reply
    10. cheri

      August 04, 2015 at 7:37 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Susan, once again you have created a note worthy recipe. Can't wait to try this one myself. Love it!!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        August 05, 2015 at 12:12 pm

        Thanks so much cheri! I was in Portland last week and caught the heat wave. I know you're further south, and luckily on the coast - hopefully it was cooler there.

        Reply
    11. Marie @ Not Enough Cinnamon.com

      August 06, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      I love sun dried tomato pesto, such a great twist on the traditional one!

      Reply
    12. allie @ Through Her Looking Glass

      August 20, 2015 at 7:04 am

      5 stars
      Dear Susan, I loved learning more about Secret Recipe club. Sounds fun. And what a great recipe from Amanda! Looks delicious and easy.

      Reply
    13. Anne Brackett

      April 18, 2023 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      We enjoyed it on angel hair pasta. Yum.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        April 18, 2023 at 8:29 pm

        5 stars
        I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    5 from 15 votes

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