Pesto is most often associated as being made with fresh basil for a vibrant green sauce. But, the star of this pesto is sundried tomatoes, along with the basil, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. For this recipe, the sundried tomato pesto is tossed with gemelli pasta. It also makes a wonderful summer appetizer drizzled on toasted sourdough bread with a glass of chilled crisp white wine.
1 jar sundried tomatoes, 7-8 ounces
2 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces gemelli pasta, or similar shape
Additional grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain and set aside.
Working with a food processor, add the sundried tomatoes, including the oil from the jar, and the garlic, process to combine. Add in the fresh basil, salt and pepper, process to combine. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Add the drained pasta to the pesto, tossing to coat. Add in about half of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce and help coat the pasta. Taste the pasta for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and additional Parmesan cheese and serve.
Featured Market Ingredients
Sundried Tomatoes packed in oil
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Basil
Parmesan Cheese
Gemelli Pasta