Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced; oil-packed and drained, or dry-packed and rehydrated
- ¾ cup walnuts, halves or pieces
- ¾ cup parsley, fresh leaves, loosely packed
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to loosen, if needed
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to a food processor.
- Pulse a few times to break everything up, then blend for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides once or twice, until it forms a thick paste.
- If the pesto is thicker than you like, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons more olive oil or water until it reaches the consistency you want.
- Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice, if needed.
- Use it as a pasta sauce, sandwich spread, pizza sauce or salad dressing.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Oil-packed vs. dry sun-dried tomatoes: drain oil-packed tomatoes and save the oil to loosen the pesto. Soak dry-packed tomatoes in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain well.
- Prep: slice the sun-dried tomatoes; walnut halves or pieces both work; use fresh parsley leaves (tender stems are fine).
- Optional cheesy flavor: blend in 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, adding a splash more oil if it gets too thick.
- Texture: if the pesto is thicker than you like, blend in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or water.
- Nut-free: swap the walnuts for sunflower seeds.
- Storage: refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Makes about 1 ¼ cups. Nutrition is per 2-tablespoon serving.
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
Calories: 131kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 128mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 454IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
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