Pesto rosso
Pesto rosso is the red, southern Italian relative of green Genovese: the base is sundried tomatoes instead of basil and almonds instead of pine nuts. It is thicker, deeper and more forgiving — it does not darken within an hour and happily keeps a week in the fridge.
Your own work in that: 0 min.
- Toasting the almonds 5 min
- Blending 6 min
- Filling the jars 5 min
Step by step
0 / 5 doneToast the almonds
Toast the almonds in a dry pan for 4–5 minutes, shaking, until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely — warm almonds release oil in the blender and the pesto turns greasy instead of creamy.
Ingredients: 250 g sundried tomatoes · 80 g almonds · 2 cloves garlic · ½ bunch basil · 60 g parmesan
Toasting turns a bland almond nutty.Drain the tomatoes
Drain the tomatoes from their oil and pat them dry with kitchen paper. The packing oil is often poor quality and dulls the flavour — better to use good olive oil. If yours are dry-packed, soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes first.
Ingredients: 250 g sundried tomatoes · 80 g almonds · 2 cloves garlic · ½ bunch basil · 60 g parmesan
Blend coarsely
Put the tomatoes, almonds, garlic, basil and parmesan in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts for 1–2 minutes, drizzling in the oil, until you have a coarse paste — not a smooth purée. Texture is half the pleasure here.
Ingredients: 250 g sundried tomatoes · 80 g almonds · 2 cloves garlic · ½ bunch basil · 60 g parmesan
TipPulse, do not run continuously. Continuous blending heats the mixture, and extra virgin olive oil whipped at high speed turns bitter.
A coarse paste with visible pieces of almond.Season and check the texture
Add the chilli, lemon juice, salt and pepper. The pesto should be thick but fall off a spoon — if it is too stiff, add oil a tablespoon at a time.
Ingredients: 120 ml olive oil · ½ tsp chilli flakes · ½ pcs lemon · ½ tsp salt · ¼ tsp pepper
Fill the jars
Pack into scalded jars, press down with a spoon and cover the surface with a 5 mm layer of olive oil. Keep in the fridge and eat within a week; freeze it for longer. Raw garlic and tomatoes under oil are not for long storage — they carry a botulism risk.
Ingredients: 120 ml olive oil · ½ tsp chilli flakes · ½ pcs lemon · ½ tsp salt · ¼ tsp pepper
TipAfter each spoonful level the surface and top up the oil — it stops the top drying out and darkening.
Before you start
Freeze in portions
Spoon the pesto into an ice cube tray and freeze. One cube is a pasta sauce portion for one person.
Without parmesan
Skip the cheese and add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt. The vegan version is just as thick.
What it goes with
With pasta, in a mozzarella sandwich, as a chicken marinade or stirred into yoghurt for a dip.