Pesto #1: Sun-dried Tomato

Reminder: The BSI challenge with this week's ingredient of choice Bell Pepper. You have until Sunday, Sunday, Sunday night to enter. (here) Few have already submitted. Have you? Yes, you?

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The other day I had an idea to make two different kinds of pesto. I was debating which one to make first. I tweeted my dilemma on twitter, but that did not help as the replies were tied. Eek! Also, I was running short on time as I still had to prepare dinner, too. Double eek!

Finally, I just decided to do both. If you remember a few weeks back when I tried making wheat pasta, I had served it with some sun-dried tomato pesto, I had gotten from the Farmer's Market. And I wanted to make something a little similar. Here's my version. Simple and easy to make. Mix it with pasta or spread it on some bread.

So, here's pesto #1: Sun-Dried Tomato. I used small shell pasta and served it with a couple of warm baby pan de sal. Scoop some of the pasta into the bread and eat it like a sandwich. That's what they do in the Philippines. It may sound a little weird, but it's really good.

This pesto will serve about 4-6. Come back tomorrow for pesto #2.



Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

1 1/2 c fresh basil
5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in Olive Oil (a small jar)
1 c pine nuts
2 Garlic cloves
salt
pepper
8 cherry tomatoes - quartered (optional)


Combine fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, including oil, and the cherry tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Blend until a paste consistency.


Here's a way to make pesto by hand: Reserve the oil from the sun-dried tomato in a bowl. On a chopping board, finely chop the garlic, then gradually begin chopping in the basil. Don't do it all at once or it will be a big mess. Do the scrap and chop method until you get a near mince. Do the same method with the pine nuts, and sun-dried tomato, until you get a paste like consistency. Mix in some salt and pepper to taste. Place the mixture in another bowl then drizzle over in the reserved olive oil from the sun-dried tomato.

Serve with your choice of pasta and/or bread.