Sun dried tomato pesto with ricotta.

A simple 2 minute sun dried tomato pesto made with garlic, lemon and parmesan spread on crusty bread and topped with fresh ricotta cheese and basil.

This sun dried tomato pesto is as simple as recipes get, I mean it literally takes 2 minutes and it’s done. Spread it on crostini with dollops of fresh ricotta for a quick and delicious lunch, snack or appetizer. It’s also great spread or stuffed in chicken with mozzarella, through pasta or added to tomato sauces.

I often make sun dried tomato pesto in the summer because I eat a TON of antipasti and little nibbles. Give me a plate of cheese, proscuitto, and crostini and I’m happy. It works out great at this time of year because it is just so hot.

Two problems I face in Summer;

1.  Turning the oven on is almost unbearable at times.
2. The heat suppresses my appetite (sometimes) so I normally have to eat late when it’s cooler.

Because I often wait until it’s much cooler to eat in the evenings I want something quick but delicious and these sun dried tomato pesto and ricotta crostini hit the spot.

How to make sun dried tomato pesto

Spoon the sun dried tomatoes out the jar and add to a bowl with garlic, lemon juice, and freshly grated parmesan. Blitz it into a smooth paste using a handheld blender. Taste for seasoning, normally this does not require any salt or pepper because the sun dried tomatoes are so concentrated in flavour.

The sun dried tomato pesto is simply spread on top of toasted crusty bread and is topped with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese. The ricotta cheese goes perfectly with the tangy pesto, it’s light, fresh and delicious.

For more crostini recipes try;

• roasted fennel, salami and ricotta crostini
• crostini three ways
• whipped ricotta with balsamic cherries

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTERESTto see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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5 from 1 vote

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and Ricotta Crostini

A simple 2 minute sun dried tomato pesto made with garlic, lemon and parmesan spread on crusty bread and topped with fresh ricotta cheese and basil.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 7 minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 245kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

• 9.8 oz (280g) jar sun dried tomatoes in oil ( undrained weight )
• 1/4 cup (20g) parmesan freshly grated
• 1/2 garlic clove
• squeeze of lemon
• custy bread cut into slices , toasted
• 1 small bunch basil , to garnish
• ricotta , to dollop on top

Instructions

• Spoon the sun dried tomatoes into a bowl, do not add all the oil just as much as comes out when transferring them into a bowl.
• Add the garlic, parmesan and squeeze of lemon to the bowl. Blitz it all together to a thick paste using a handheld blender.
• Spread the pesto on toasted bread and add a dollop of ricotta cheese on top. Sprinkle with chopped basil leaves and a sprinkle of pepper.

Notes

Please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements all imperial measurements are approximate.

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan oven
• Find out more about how nutrition is calculated here
• Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples here
• You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking here

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