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–+ servings
Side view of red pesto in a glass jar.
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5 from 1 vote

Red Pesto Recipe

Discover why this red pesto recipe could be your new favorite base for pasta, pizza, dips, and so much more!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: anchovies, pesto, pine nuts, red, tomato
Servings: 4
Calories: 187kcal
Author: Mika Kinney

Ingredients

  • 6 oz tomato paste plain
  • 3 anchovy fillets
  • 2 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon Calabrian chilis or red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from half of a lemon
  • 8 cashews unsalted raw
  • 2 tablespoon pine nuts unsalted raw
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add your tomato paste, garlic, and anchovies (with their oil) to a skillet. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant and the tomato paste softens. 
    Cooking tomato paste and pesto ingredients in a pan.
  • Remove the middle cap from the blender or food processor lid. Add all ingredients, including the hot tomato mixture, into your food processor or blender. 
  • As you turn on the blender, drizzle your olive oil into the opening in the lid. Process until smooth.
    This process takes about 1-2 minutes of blending, scraping, blending. If this doesn't work, add more oil as needed. I recommend trying to scrape down the sides to help it blend before adding more oil because we want it to be thick enough.
    A blender with red pesto inside.

Video

Notes

Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
 
See the post for substitution options and storage notes.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 413mg | Potassium: 502mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 652IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg