This fantastic sundried tomato pesto is our family’s favorite pesto rosso. Simple and flavorful, it comes together in no time and it is always a crowd-pleaser. Tangier than traditional pesto alla genovese, this recipe can be endlessly reinvented with whatever ingredients are available in the kitchen. Capers may be replaced with olives, almonds could be substituted with pinenuts or walnuts and parmigiano reggiano may be used in place of the pecorino romano. Although many pasta shapes work great with sundried tomato pesto, we think that corzetti pasta is particularly spectacular with this pesto recipe.
Corzetti Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients:
200 gr sundried tomatoes
50 gr capers
20 gr peeled almonds
extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper
pecorino romano cheese, grated (optional)
Place all the sundried tomato pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine, adding as much extra virgin olive oil needed to form a paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In the meantime, prepare the corzetti pasta and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the corzetti until al dente, drain the pasta – remember to reserve 5 tablespoons of the cooking water. Toss the drained corzetti pasta with the cooking water and add the sundried tomato pesto. Serve immediately with some grated pecorino romano cheese.