If a blend of assertive Greek olives and richly concentrated tomato appeals to you, you’ve found your bliss. Toss this pesto with any type of pasta for a satisfying vegan meal. It’s also good topped with small dollops of chèvre or sprinklings of another soft, fresh cheese.
Yields about 1½ cups
Time: 15 minutes
¾ cup lightly packed sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup almonds
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
⅓ cup pitted Mediterranean black and/or green olives
⅔ cup chopped fresh tomatoes*
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
*Simply chop plum tomatoes or grape tomatoes, but if you use a regular tomato, before chopping it, halve it and scoop out most of the seeds and some of the juice. You don’t have to be too thorough, just get most of the seeds out for a firmer pesto.
Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes and then drain.
Whirl the almonds in the bowl of a food processor until chopped. Add the garlic, olives, fresh tomatoes, and soaked and drained sun-dried tomatoes to the processor. Pulse until all the ingredients are well chopped. While the processor blade is whirling, add the oil in a steady stream and process until the pesto is fairly smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the pesto with pasta and garnish with a chiffonade of basil and/or finely chopped fresh parsley. Spread some on crostini and top with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Add some to mayonnaise for flavorful sandwich enrichment. Make a pizza (see Pizza Rosso e Verde).