Sun-dried Tomato Red Pesto Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Sun-dried Tomato Red Pesto Pasta

A quick and simple red pesto pasta recipe that is perfect for a speedy lunch or dinner. Make your homemade pesto from scratch or toss on store-bought pesto if you're in a hurry.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 574kcal

Author: Helen

Equipment

1 small frying pan
1 food processor or pestle and mortar
1 saucepan

Ingredients

Pesto Rosso

30 g pine nuts Note 1
100 g roasted red peppers Note 2
100 g sundried tomatoes Note 2
2 tbsp olive oil
10 g basil leaves Note 3
2 tsp balsamic vinegar Note 4
2 tsp tomato puree (optional) Note 5
40 g Parmesan or Pecorino
½ tsp garlic powder Note 6
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Red Pesto Pasta

400 g pasta of choice (Note 7)
Salt For the pasta water (Note 8)
Homemade pesto or store bought red pesto (Note 9)
3 tbsp single cream or creme fraiche (optional) (Note 10)

To serve (optional)

Chopped fresh parsley
Grated Parmesan or Pecorino
Freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Homemade red pesto

Place a small pan on a medium to high heat and toast the pine nuts until they begin to brown and set aside.
Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor or use a pestle and mortar to combine them.

Pesto Pasta

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in a large pan of generously salted water. Reserve a few tablespons of pasta water before draining.
Pour the red pesto onto the pasta, add cream (if using) and a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta water if it needs additional moisture.
Toss together and serve immediately topped with chopped parsley, Parmesan/ Pecorino and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

Pine nuts: Can be swapped for the same volume of toasted almonds or walnuts.
Red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes: These are usually jarred and should be easy to find in most supermarkets.
Basil: I recommend using fresh basil, but you can use ⅓ of the amount of dried basil
Balsamic vinegar: Lemon juice can be used instead, but you might want to add a little sugar to taste.
Tomato puree: Optional, but great for deepening the tomato flavour
Garlic: You can use 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic instead but you will need to sauté in a little oil first to mellow the bitter flavour of raw garlic.
Pasta: There isn't really a bad choice here so choose the shape you find most appealing. I often go for rigatoni or fusilli, but spaghetti or linguine also work well. Pesto sauce is also a great way to jazz up some store-bought (or homemade) ravioli or tortellini.
Salting the pasta water: be generous, pasta water should be salty like the sea If this concerns you, remember that most of the salt will be poured away with the pasta water.
Store-bought red pesto: allow 50g or 2 ounces per person.
Cream: this is optional. Add a dash of cream and enjoy a richer sauce with a mellower pesto flavour or skip the cream and taste bright unmuted tomato flavour.

Nutrition