Pesto Grilled Cheese with Sun Dried Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Can I use sun-dried tomatoes instead of tomato puree? ›

Sun-dried tomatoes can create unique and flavorful sauces, spreads, salads and pasta dishes that transport your taste buds to the Mediterranean. “To use as a substitute for tomato paste, soak ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in ⅓ cup boiling water for five minutes," Julie recommends.

Yes, sun dried tomato pesto can go bad. Properly stored in the refrigerator, it can last up to 1 week. To extend its shelf life, you can freeze it or ensure it's covered with olive oil in an airtight container. Always check for signs of spoilage, like an off smell or mold, before use.

Sure you can. But you'll need to be aware of the other flavors that come along with sun dried tomato pesto, like garlic, basil, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. And depending on what you're making, things like texture, structure, and cooking time may be altered.

The taste is very similar (if not richer) to fresh tomatoes since we only remove the water content, which means you could use sun-dried tomatoes in any recipe where you could use fresh ones. They also add a chewy texture to the dish, making it more appetizing and less boring.

Sun dried tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, which may help reduce the risk of some health conditions like certain cancers and age-related macular degeneration. Sun dried tomatoes are also a good source of: Vitamin C.

Often referred to as pesto Rosso, this sun-dried condiment originated in Italy. It has a vibrant red color and a lovely rich and robust flavor. This differs from traditional pesto because of the addition of the tomatoes, but is just as delicious.

To maximize the shelf life of your product we encourage customers to store all Bella Sun Luci sundried tomato products, once opened in a refrigerator. Our recommendation is to use the tomatoes within six months after opening, add olive oil as needed to keep tomatoes covered.

Once opened, a jar of pesto lasts in the fridge for three days without any dramatic loss of quality. It will be perfectly safe for another two days, but leave it any longer, and its quality will decline to the point that it will no longer be enjoyable to eat.

Oxygen exposure can cause the pesto to oxidize, resulting in a loss of flavor and color.

Traditionally speaking, the only difference between green and red pesto is that the former gets its trademark colour from basil, while the latter gets its fiery colour from tomatoes.

What is the difference between pesto and pesto Rosso? ›

Pesto Rosso, or red pesto in Italian, is a pesto that is tomato-based instead of the more classic green basil pesto Genovese. There are fresh versions of pesto rosso that use fresh tomatoes, but for this version, we're using umami-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

This quick, 6-ingredient sun dried tomato pesto is the perfect blend of sweet sun dried tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. I love it tossed with rigatoni pasta and fresh mozzarella cheese.

If you're using sun-dried tomatoes in a brothy dish like a soup, stew, or pasta sauce, you may not need to rehydrate sun–dried tomatoes; the hot liquid in the recipe should do the trick. But for other uses, rehydrating is the secret to unlocking the tangy-sweet, ultra-tomato-ey wonderfulness of sun-dried tomatoes.

Before using them, you should rehydrate dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes in salted liquid for about an hour. You can bring that time down to 10 minutes with a zap in the microwave, according to America's Test Kitchen.

However, if you do need them soft you can rehydrate by soaking in either warm water or good quality oil (olive oil is most common) for about 10 minutes. Salads and Sandwiches: Rehydrate the tomatoes by marinating in a bit of salad dressing then enjoy tomatoes in your salad in the winter or on a sandwich.

Some of the best substitutes for tomato puree include canned tomatoes, passata, pizza sauce or marinara sauce, and ketchup. For unique flavor alternatives, you can try pumpkin or squash puree, Vegemite, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce or pepper-based options like bell peppers and Romesco sauce.

Yet in the realm of kitchen wisdom, there's a noteworthy caution — avoid putting sun-dried tomatoes in your blender. As unassuming as these concentrated flavor packets may appear, they can turn into quite a handful for this kitchen appliance.

Tomato paste, like sun dried tomatoes, is a very popular ingredient in Italian cuisine, so it can be used as a substitute in pretty much any Italian dish. Swap in 1 tablespoon of tomato paste for every 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes.