Pesto Rosso, also known as red pesto, is a delicious Italian sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, nuts, Parmesan cheese, and herbs. It is a variation of the traditional green pesto sauce that incorporates basil and pine nuts. Pesto Rosso has a rich and tangy taste with a hint of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes, making it a versatile and delicious addition to various dishes.
The word ‘pesto’ makes most people think of green pesto – fragrant basil with crushed pine nuts, creamy parmesan, and fine oil. This time, we want to spread the love for red pesto.
In this post we describe how you can make your own pesto rosso, plus provide you with a more convenient route.
Packed with flavoursome and aromatic ingredients, red pesto has plenty to offer to help transform your home cooking and enjoy tasty homemade Italian food.
What is Red Pesto?
The main difference between green and red pesto is the primary ingredient – green is made with basil and red is normally made with sun-dried tomatoes. As well as giving it its vibrant red colour, tomatoes also give red pesto a much richer taste, especially if they’ve been preserved in oil.
Here's a simple recipe for Pesto Rosso
Ingredients:
200g sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
2 cloves garlic
50g grated Parmesan cheese
75g almonds or pine nuts
25g fresh basil leaves
60ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Start by draining the sun-dried tomatoes from the oil and reserve some oil for later use.
In a food processor or blender, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic cloves, Parmesan cheese, almonds (or pine nuts), and basil leaves.
Pulse the mixture while gradually adding the olive oil until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
If the pesto is too thick, you can add a little bit of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to reach the desired consistency.
Transfer the Pesto Rosso to a jar or airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It can be used as a spread, pasta sauce, or a delicious addition to various dishes.
Pesto Rosso Pasta Recipe
Indulge in a delightful bowl of Pesto Rosso Pasta, where al dente pasta is tossed with a rich and tangy Pesto Rosso sauce. This recipe allows you to choose between using a homemade Pesto Rosso for a personal touch or opting for a high-quality store-bought version for convenience. Either way, the result is a satisfying combination of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, nuts, and Parmesan cheese, coating every strand of pasta with a burst of flavour.
Ingredients (4 servings)
225g Bronze Die Linguine
135g Red Pesto
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp Diced Garlic
200g Nduja sausage chunks (you could use chorizo or even traditional sausages if you could not get hold of nduja).
Fresh basil
Fresh parsley
50g grated parmesan
Salt
Black Pepper
Did you know? Nduja is a soft spicy sausage from Calabria, similar to and influenced by chorizo but much softer, almost crumbly. The use of chilli spice in nduja was inspired by the invading Spanish, who also brought chilli to southern Italy, where chilli can be found in many local recipes.
Cooking method
1. In a pot of plenty of salted water, cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes until al dente. In the meantime, add the oil to a large non-stick frying pan and, once hot, add the garlic and nduja. Once warmed, the nduja will crumble and release its delicious oils, spices, and flavours, which will all blend into the sauce.
2. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water.
3. Add the cooked pasta to the nduja followed by the red pesto. Give everything a good mix until well combined, adding a few splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen up the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
4. Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and grated parmesan on top.
5. Enjoy!