Sun Dried Tomato Paste
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Sun dried tomato paste is always a huge hit, quick to make and a big crowd pleaser! And it’s so rich, piquant and full of big flavor. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and keeps well for days!
Serve it along with focaccia, italian breadsticks or pesto bread, it’s just perfect along with more delicious Italian appetizers.
There will always be a place in my heart for delicious pantry staples like sun dried tomatoes. They’re great to make scrumptious pesto, bruschetta or you can simply turn them into this flavorful sun dried tomato paste.
Originally from Southern Italy, this amazing vibrant paste is more than a crowd-pleaser appetizer. It can be a condiment, a spreadable sauce, a pesto, a dip.
It’s simply great to elevate your sandwiches or perfect to toss it into your quick spaghetti, to stir it into salads, soups, potatoes.
It’s 100% versatile and delicious!
Best of all, this easy recipe requires less than 10 minutes, 1 food processor (or a blender), and a handful of ingredients.
Below is a super short shopping list for you. Let’s do this!
List of the ingredients
- Sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- Extra virgin olive oil (or simply use the oil from the jar!)
- Vinegar (any color)
- Herbs
- Almonds or pine nuts
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper
How to make sun dried tomato paste
(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Place all the ingredients in the food processor.
- Blend until you get a smooth paste (a few bits from the almonds or the herbs are totally fine).
- Taste and adjust the seasoning and the consistency to your liking. It’s supposed to be spreadable but not runny.
Recipe notes
Sun-dried tomato paste ingredients
Sun-dried tomatoes: use tomatoes packed in olive oil, they’re so convenient, soft and perfect for this recipe.
Olive oil: you can either use extra virgin olive oil or, for convenience, you’re welcome to use the olive oil from the jar. Although most of the times this is not quality extra virgin olive oil, it’s infused with herbs, full of flavor, and it works fine in this recipe.
Vinegar: to add a lovely touch of acidity.
Almonds: more affordable than pine nuts, almonds are great to add texture. Just in case you are wondering, in Italy we don’t toast the almonds first when making pesto or sun dried tomato paste.
Herbs: I use dried oregano for a more Mediterranean flavor and a small handful of fresh parsley and basil, perfect pairing to add a touch of freshness to an otherwise rather rich paste.
Chili flakes: for a touch of heat. You can adjust the quantity to your liking, but feel free to skip it if spicy is not your thing.
Salt & pepper: for more flavor, however, go easy on salt and adjust the seasoning at the end since the sun dried tomatoes and their oil might be already salty.
Difference between pesto and paste
There’s a little difference between pesto and paste.
Usually pesto recipes call for parmesan cheese and garlic, and their consistency is runny and more suitable for pasta recipes. Instead, paste recipes don’t use cheese, the garlic is optional, and the consistency is more stiff and less runny.
How to use sun dried tomato paste?
Not only is this sun dried tomato paste absolutely terrific as an Italian appetizer or served with bread, but it’s also a great to add depth of flavor to quick pasta dishes like these cream cheese pasta, arugula pasta, pasta with olives and so forth!
How to store it
It keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week, covered with a thin layer of olive oil. It’s also freezable.
More easy appetizers?
If you looks for vegan appetizers this collection of 50 recipes is perfect for you! Or if you’re into Italian appetizers, you might love some of our favs:
- Pinzimonio
- Pea and ricotta crostini
- Mozzarella bruschetta
- Chickpea bruschetta
- Artichoke bruschetta
- Bread & beans
- Caprese salad skewers
- Italian rice balls
- Italian spicy olives
- Marinated mozzarella
If you make this scrumptious sun dried tomato paste, or if you have any questions, let me know! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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Sun Dried Tomato Paste
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (7oz/200 grams) sun dried tomatoes, jarred
- ¼ cup (1.2oz/35 grams) almonds (or 2 tablespoons pine nuts)
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, small stems are fine too
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley leaves, small stems are fine too
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil or the oil from the jar
- 1 tablespoon wine vinegar, any color
- 1-2 tablespoon water, if needed
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Add sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, almonds, herbs, chili flakes (if you use it) to a food processor. Don't add any salt at the moment. Pulse/blend until a paste forms, scraping sides down as needed. You might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water near the end to create a smoother paste.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding salt for saltiness, more chilli flakes for heat. The sun dried tomatoes and their oil might be already tasty and salty, that's why it's a good idea to adjust the salt at the end.
- Store the sun dried tomato paste in the refrigerator up to 1 week. For longer storage, you can store it in a container or a freezer-safe bag up to 1 month.
