Sundried Tomato Pesto RecipeSTEPS 2 INGREDIENTS 8 TIME 10 MINS
The original problem was this: if you just take sun-dried toms and process these with a little parmesan cheese and oil (i.e. usual pesto style), the result is a paste that is simply little too strong, even a little bitter. The solution is two-fold: first, add a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes in there. And secondly, bring a little creamy sweetness by adding soft ricotta cheese. The result is a luscious pasta sauce that's bursting with tomato goodness and will stick nicely to whatever pasta shapes you choose. And did I mention it's stupidly quick? 10 minutes flat, then just cook up your pasta. Note: You'll need an electric food processor for this sundried tomato pesto recipe, as the toms are too sturdy for a pestle and mortar to squish alone. Serves 4 Ingredients: 115g/4oz sun-dried tomatoes (ideally not in oil) (Want to try making your own? This is a good starter guide and this is great long picture guide). 35g/1.25oz soft ricotta cheese 5 fresh basil leaves 5 small fresh cherry tomatoes 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese (grated) Salt Pepper Optional: 1/2 clove of garlic STEP 1 - First prepare the ingredients by rinsing the basil leaves, grating the parmesan, and peeling and chopping the optional garlic. STEP 2 - Pop all the ingredients, except for the parmesan, in a small food processor. - Add in a small pinch of salt and pepper, and 4 tablespoons of water. - Whiz for 30 seconds or so until the mixture is blended smooth. - Then add the parmesan and whiz a little more. Done!
To serve: - Boil up 400-500g/14-17.5oz of pasta in well-salted water as per its packet's timings. Tip: green spinach pasta (make it fresh here) contrasts wonderfully, color-wise, with sun dried tomato pesto. - When cooked, drain pasta - but not until you've added 2 tablespoons of this pasta water to a mixing bowl. - Add pesto into the bowl too and mix through the drained pasta, coating it in the pesto. - Serve each portion with a little extra pesto on top, or possibly a full basil leaf or two.  Next, why not try more pesto recipes? New! CommentsHave your say about this page! Just add a comment in the box below. |
