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Pesto Rosso (Sun Dried Tomato Pesto)

5 from 3 votes
A small bowl of homemade sun dried tomato pesto with a spoon next to jars of pesto rosso.
Pesto rosso is a delicious Italian condiment made with a handful of ingredients. This easy recipe adds a punch of flavor to many meals beyond pasta dishes and is naturally dairy-free.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 8.5 oz jar oil-packed sundried tomatoes see notes
  • 1 roasted red pepper (from a jar)
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • cup toasted walnuts or substitute, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • ½ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt start with ¼ teaspoon if using any other kind, plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor including the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Blend until everything is well combined and has reached your desired consistency. 
  • Taste, and add more salt and lemon juice as needed.

Notes

Makes 1½ cups.
See the blog post for helpful tips as well as ideas on how to use pesto rosso.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

No oil-packed sundried tomatoes? - if you can only find dry-packed tomatoes, you'll also need to add ½ cup extra virgin olive oil in total to get the right consistency.
No walnuts? - use pine nuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds (toast them for the best flavor)
No nutritional yeast? - leave it out or use vegan parmesan cheese (or regular if not dairy-free).
Add-ins - red pepper flakes.