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I don’t need to tell you that pesto is a beautiful thing. Theoretically, pesto is wonderful because there are countless combinations of ingredients that you can combine to make it.

This recipe is for sun dried tomato pesto and is based on a recipe I saw in At Home with Magnolia by Allysa Torey (of Magnolia Bakery fame). I have made it a few times now, and it is just really great. The sun dried tomatoes and the toasted almonds give it a thick chunky texture, and the sweetness of the tomatoes with the richness of the almonds, cheese, and olive oil is addictive. There is a bit of spice from the garlic and a fresh undertone from the lemon zest. Unlike your standard (yet delicious, and my favorite) genovese pesto, or probably most pestos for that matter, this will last in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

As you can see in the picture, we like to eat it spread on some bread. I may also be spotted in the corner of the kitchen using hard sourdough pretzels to scoop it right out of the container. I also like to add it to pasta dishes as a substitute for crushed tomatoes, like for instance, this cavatelli with broccolini and turkey sausage. The point is, this is tasty and you can find many different ways to inhale it.

Follow up:

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Adapted from At Home with Magnolia by Sara at Imafoodblog.com
Yield: About 1 Cup

• 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted whole almonds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1 generous packed cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmigianno regianno
• 1 cup olive oil

1. Drain your sun dried tomatoes, lightly rinse them, and then pat them dry with a paper towel.
2. Toast your almonds in a dry shallow pan. They will take about 10 minutes, and you will smell when they are done.
3. In a large food processor, combine the basil, toasted almonds, garlic, lemon zest, and salt. Process until coarsely chopped.
4. Add the sun dried tomatoes and parmigianno cheese and process until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.
5. Now stream in the olive oil slowly and process until the pesto comes together.
6. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.