Sun-Dried Tomato & Olive Pesto

This pesto swaps the usual basil for sun-dried tomatoes and black olives, creating a deeply savory, Mediterranean-leaning spread that works on pasta, crostini, grilled meats, or stirred into risotto.

Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are doing double duty here. Their concentrated sweetness and chew drive the flavor, and the packing oil gets measured and used as part of the olive oil base. Smart and zero-waste. Pine nuts add richness, shallots bring a mellow sweetness that raw onion can’t, and a splash of red wine vinegar brightens the whole thing so it doesn’t read as one-note rich.

Fresh parsley, not basil, is the green here. It keeps things fresh and herbaceous without competing with the intense tomato and olive flavors.

Chef Tips

• Drain the tomatoes over a measuring cup and top up with olive oil to reach ¼ cup total. This uses every bit of that flavored packing oil.
• Pulse the food processor, don’t let it run continuously at first. You want finely chopped, not pureed. Then stream in the oil for a cohesive but textured pesto.
• If the pesto seems dry after processing, add more olive oil a spoonful at a time until it’s spreadable.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before refrigerating. This prevents oxidation that turns the top layer dark and flat-tasting.

Variations

• With Parmesan: Pulse in a quarter cup of grated Parmesan for a richer, more traditional pesto feel.
• Walnut swap: Replace the pine nuts with toasted walnuts for a more affordable and earthier flavor.