Rich, savory, and cheesy, this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (or, red pesto) is a flavorful way to dress up your meals.

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We are making meal prep and dinner time easy with today's new recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (or, red pesto). This pesto is ready in just TWO steps and is perfect for meal prep!

Make a double or triple batch (if you wish!) and save extras for meal prep throughout the week or freeze the leftovers to dress up an easy dinner in the weeks to come. Below I share ideas for how to enjoy this favorite Italian spread!

Green basil pesto is one of my favorites, folks. So amazing that I included my favorite recipe in my recently published quick dinner eBook.

But what do you do when you love a dish so much that just one iteration isn't enough? When you're the kind of person easily edges on food-fanatical, but expresses that fanaticism through diving so deep into the intricacies of said dish?

You start planning out different interpretations of the same idea. Playing around with the ingredients and seasonings to create the next amazing dish that further expands your love for the whole recipe genre.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Wondering if I have finally officially lost my mind?

You're most definitely not the only one.

But that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you come try out this sundried tomato red pesto.

With oil-packed sundried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, walnuts, olive oil, and just the right amount of seasonings, this savory and versatile spread may even convert you to this wonderful world of food fanaticism.

Just one taste and you'll get hooked on the jammy flavor and luscious texture. One time making it and you'll be blown away that such a recipe can be made in only 5 minutes.

One week of having this pesto in your kitchen and your meal prepping will be satisfied with all the different ways you can enjoy this pesto.

It's enough for a food fanatic girl like me to exclaim her love all over the internet.

I hope you love this baby as much as I do. 🍅

This red pesto recipe is...

• Rich
• Savory
• Cheesy
• Nutty
• Naturally gluten-free
• Ready in under 5 minutes
• Perfect for meal prep
• Versatile
• A family favorite

Dress up anything from pasta and pizza to grilled sandwiches and roasted potatoes with this all-purpose Italian sauce! It's a game changer.

Recipe ingredients

• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil - we want oil-packed sundried for this recipe
• Extra virgin olive oil - the better the quality of the oil, the better this recipe will taste; though, any extra virgin olive oil will technically do
• Salt
• Garlic cloves - fresh cloves are the best
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Walnuts halves and/or pieces

Ingredient substitutions

Pine nuts can work in place of the walnuts, but otherwise, this recipe works the best with the ingredients listed. Trust me, it's worth it!

Can you use sun-dried tomatoes that aren't packed in oil for this recipe?

For this recipe you will need sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as the tomatoes are more tender and juicy this way. Dry packed tomatoes, on the other hand, are too dry and will make the pesto sandy and crumbly.

Side note: you can add extra olive oil to the dry tomatoes when blending to reconstitute them, but they still won't be as tender and flavorful as oil-packed tomatoes.

What is the best way to blend pesto?

For best results, I recommend you blend pesto in a food processor. If you don't have one, however, you can use an immersion blender or a high-speed blender.

If using an immersion blender, add all the ingredients to a deep blending cup before immersing.

If using a high-speed blender, add the ingredients to the blender in the order listed before blending on medium speed:

• Olive oil
• Sundried tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese
• Garlic
• Walnuts
• Salt

Is tomato pesto gluten-free?

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How to make this tomato pesto...

1. Add all the pesto ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
2. Run the processor on high for 45 seconds - 1 ½ minutes, or until the pesto is smooth. Serve as desired!

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How do you serve this red pesto?

Red pesto (or, "pesto rosso," as the Italians call it!) is delicious served so many delicious ways. Here are a few of my favorites:

Tossed with...

• Pasta
• Roasted potatoes
• Rice
• Spaghetti squash
• Roasted vegetables

Spread on...

• Pizza
• Grilled chicken or vegetable sandwiches
• Italian grilled cheese (fresh bread, pesto, and fontina cheese)
• Fresh toasted bread
• Chicken or salmon

Just thinking of all the possibilities makes my mouth water!!

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Can you use this recipe for meal prep?

Yes, red pesto is perfect for meal prep! Make a big batch (see my notes below on doubling or tripling it!) and enjoy the rest of it throughout the week.

You can toss pasta, potatoes, rice, chicken, etc. with it ahead of time, or just stir some in with your dish before reheating and enjoying.

Can you double or triple this recipe?

Tools needed to make this recipe:

• Cutting board
• Chef knife
• Measuring cups
• Food processor, immersion blender, or high-speed blender

Check out these other tasty Italian recipes!

• Instant Pot Beef Ragu
• Baked Italian Sausage Casserole with Ricotta Cheese
• Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Peas
• Sausage Risotto
• Garlic Angel Hair Pasta
• Spaghetti with Beans & Garlicky Greens
• One Pot Orecchiette with Sausage
• Instant Pot Risotto

To view the Google Web Story of this recipe, click here or view it below:

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