Pasta With Pesto Rosso (Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto)
An intensely flavourful red pesto pasta made with sun-dried tomatoes. This dish is a quick and easy family-loved meal.
Ingredients
PESTO ROSSO
- 150 g sun-dried tomatoes oil-packed
- 25 g pine nuts
- 40 g Grana Padano grated
- 1 garlic clove
- 10 g (~15 leaves) fresh basil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly grounded
- ½ teaspoon salt
PASTA
- 250 g fusilli
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 6 cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 red chili sliced (optional)
- 6-8 tablespoon Pesto Rosso
- 2-3 tablespoon pasta water
- ⅓ teaspoon black pepper freshly grounded
- Grana Padano for serving
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Start by boiling the pasta according to the package instructions till al dente. Don't forget to reserve one-fourth cup of pasta water.
- To a small blender, add in the Pesto Rosso ingredients. Blend till the pesto is almost creamy but still has some chunkiness.
- In a pan heat the olive oil. On medium heat, add the garlic and toast for a minute until no longer law and then throw in the cherry tomatoes and red chili.
- After 2-3 minutes add half of the pesto. You can adjust the pesto quantity according to how saucy you like your pasta. Roast the pesto for 1-2 minutes till it darkens slightly. This step will really boost its taste. Add some pasta water if the sauce looks dry.
- Drain the pasta and immediately add into the pan without rinsing it. Toss it with the pesto until well combined.
- Remove on a plate and grate some Grana Padano on top. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you get the weight of the actual sun-dried tomatoes without the oil. Usually the weight written on the jar is with the oil.
- Time boiling the pasta with your cooking. Immediately add it to the pan after draining. Don’t rinse it with water as it removes the starch and the sauce doesn’t bind well to it.
- The quantity of the oil might change depending on what type of sun dried tomatoes you are using. If you are using dry packed sun dried tomatoes you might need to add more oil to make the pesto creamy.
- Roasting the pesto rosso in olive oil with minced garlic before adding in the pasta really boosts its taste.
- This dish is vegetarian but feel free to add chicken, shrimp or your choice of extra veggies or protein to make it a more wholesome meal.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 522kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 18gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 532mgPotassium: 1182mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 556IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 138mgIron: 4mg
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