Tomato Pesto Sauce? Yes, it is possible. This vegetarian recipe gives pesto a unique orange color because of the tomatoes. Simple, quick to make and tastes perfect with any pasta recipe

I love pesto sauce in my gnocchi and pasta recipes.

My favorite pesto sauce is basil pesto, because it will taste great in any pasta recipe

Have you tried homemade arugula pesto recipe?

Side view of a spoon filled with tomato pesto on a white dish

If you are a vegetarian, chances are you are huge Pesto sauce fan. Vegetarians are forced to choose from only 2 types of pasta sauces at an Italian restaurant.  All the pastas either have Marinara or Pesto sauce.

Many vegetarians I know tend to stay away from the heavy Alfredo sauces because some of them might actually have eggs in them.  I have a vegan friendly Alfredo recipe that is so delicious!

Over time, I got used to pesto sauce in my pasta. It was definitely an acquired taste for me.  In fact, it took me years to develop a palette for the sauce. The only time I had really liked it was when it was incorporated with Gnocchi.

Gnocchi is the only reason why potatoes exist on earth.

Just a side note: If you have an hour or two extra, make the vegan Gnocchi yourself. It is one of the most rewarding taste experiences ever.

Some of the restaurants make the pesto sauces on the rich side. They tend to use too much cream in their sauce or too much Parmesan cheese.  The good restaurants know what the exact balance is between cheese, cream and basil.

My pesto sauce has tomatoes in it. Before you ask why, take look at the name of the site. Tomato is in our name 🙂

Yes, I put tomatoes into anything and everything that my tiny brain can think of.  I have fried the tomato, put it into popcorn and even made jam from it.

I wear my love for tomatoes on my sleeve!

Sometimes, quite literally. You should see my dry cleaning bills. 🙂

Closeup view of a tongs grabbing spaghetti with tomato pesto on a white dish

Tomato pesto also makes spaghetti taste so much better.  It tastes better with Pesto than it does with Marinara sauce.  That is just this humble vegetarian’s very humble opinion.

So, do you prefer this tomato pesto over marinara? What is your favorite pasta sauce?

How To Make Tomato Pesto Sauce

easy Tomato Pesto recipe

Tomato Pesto With Basil And Pine Nuts

Rini
Tomato Pesto With Basil And Pine Nuts
Go Ahead, Rate it now!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 567 kcal

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Lightly roast the pine nuts for about 3 minutes
  • In a food processor, add all the ingredients except for the olive oil, sunflower oil, Parmesan and garnish basil
  • Start the processor and slowly add the oil from the top of the processor
  • Blend until all the items until the sauce is smooth
  • In medium pan, heat up the sunflower oil
  • Add cooked spaghetti and the pesto sauce
  • Heat on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until all the spaghetti is well coated
  • Remove from heat and move to serving dish
  • Chop the remaining 2 basil leaves
  • Garnish with the chopped basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese

Notes

Nutrition Info is approximate

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal
Keyword How to make tomato pesto
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
A different kind of pesto recipe. This one uses tomatoes with other spices to make a delcious pesto sauce. Comfort food for vegetarians

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9 Comments

    1. Hello Charlie,
      Any type of pasta will work great with this recipe. The reason I don’t use Tri-color with this recipe is purely because of aesthetic reasons. The color pasta competes for attention with the pesto sauce. However, you don’t have to have my crazy reasons. Experiment with all types of pasta and tell us which one works best for you.

  1. Actually, there is a 3rd choices for veg. Penne ala vodka. I am not veg but i do like marinara not pesto. Your recipe is good but i will put some meat on it when i make it

    1. Hello,
      Thank you Charlie. I agree that Penne ala Vodka is a good choice for vegetarians. The only reason I didn’t choose it is because it is not always available at Italian restaurant. Or, some of them use bacon or chicken stalk in the sauce. Glad you like Marinara and you can absolutely use meat when you make this recipe. Just don’t show me the picture of the meat! 🙂