Add extra olive oil for a looser texture.
Sun-dried tomato pesto
Makes 1¼ cup
Ingredients
250g sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts (or use ½ cup pecans or cashews)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
40g Parmesan, grated
½ Tbsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp chilli flakes
2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
¼ cup olive oil + extra for covering
Method
- Drain sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the oil, and chop finely.
- Toast nuts in a dry pan or in the oven at 180°C, remove and chop finely.
- Place all ingredients, except for the olive oil, into a food processor and pulse lightly until chunky.
- Add the oil and blitz until the pesto comes together into a thick paste.
- Spoon into a dish and cover with a thin layer of olive oil, which will keep it from oxidising. Seal and store in the fridge. (Bring to room temperature before eating.)
- Serve lathered on bread, or stirred through pasta or soups.
Cook’s note: This pesto can also be made using a pestle and mortar or even using a fork. Make sure to chop everything super fine in order to mash together with your fork.
Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography: Zhann Solomons
Also read: Crispy pork chops and quick herb ‘pesto’
