In the wintertime, when the days are shorter, a Quick and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce is a great reminder of the long, warm days of summer that lie just around the corner!
Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to a sun dried tomato recipe, that’s for sure! And, even though I love each and every one of those recipes, I can honestly say that this one just might push the rest out for top dog – ahem, I mean top spot. (I’ve been watching too many episodes of Wentworth!)
This sauce is one of those recipes that relies quite heavily on common ingredients you will most likely find already stashed away in your pantry. You know the ingredients I’m talking about – dried oregano, dried basil, dried red chili flakes, etc.
In terms of fresh ingredients, there’s really only two or three of those that you will need for this recipe. At the risk of stealing a famous line from one of my idols, Ina Garten, you should use really good olive oil for this recipe. We have a go-to brand that we love to use; it’s not expensive, but we like that extra light flavour and colour. You can certainly use whatever olive oil you deem to your favourite brand.
You will also need to have fresh garlic. I’ve tried using dehydrated garlic and those jars of minced garlic in oil, but when making a simple, rustic sauce like this Quick and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce, fresh is best. And, really, Dear Reader, fresh garlic is cheaper anyway!
Let’s talk sun dried tomatoes. To the best of my knowledge, there are two types. The first, my personal favourite, is sold in packages either whole or chopped. I don’t think I have ever used sun dried tomatoes as a whole, so I will always buy the chopped. I have a minimum of 5 bags in our pantry at all times! The second type are whole or chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in oil and sold in jars. These are perfect for salads and pizza topping, but I tend to buy them only when I need them.
Now, this sauce is similar to a sun dried tomato pesto sauce, but also, quite different. Unlike a pesto sauce, this sauce is more loose, meaning that there’s more oil which eliminates the need to add more oil when tossing with pasta. Quick and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce also does not have any fresh basil or pine nuts. Oh, other than a cutting board, a knife, and a skillet, you won’t need any other kitchen items either, such as a food processor.
Okay, so in the spirit of full disclosure here, I must clearly state that this is not a sponsored post. For non-food bloggers, or those of us who do not work in the marketing, advertising, or sales industry, a sponsored post for a food blogger basically means that the blogger has been paid to promote a food product. I just want to be clear that I was not paid in any way to say what I’m about to say.
Trader Joe’s Califoria sun dried tomatoes are the only sun dried tomatoes I have used in our home for the past two to three years. They are simply the best for me and my family. We love the taste, the texture, the cut, and the colour! Unlike most sun dried tomatoes that are really dark – almost brown – in colour, Trader’s Joe’s sun dried tomatoes are a deep, red colour.
We don’t have a Trader Joe’s here in Canada, but John.e, McKenna, and I will make at least two trips per year across the border, and while there, we will stock up on these sun dried tomatoes. And, just because two times per year is not enough, I will go another three or four times a year with my besties, Lesli and Margaret. Trust me, we all get our shop on, and I have the customs invoices to prove it!
So, once you’ve prepared this Quick and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce, it’s ready to use right away. Keep it warm while you cook your pasta. Drain the pasta and toss with the desired amount of sauce. You can also allow to sauce to cool completely, transfer it to a clean mason jar and refrigerate it for up to two weeks. To use, just re-heat in a skillet and that’s it!
So, what else can you do with this sauce? I mean, pasta is like my drug, but if that’s not your drug of choice, you can use this sauce on a pizza. Skip the regular pizza sauce and use this instead. How about smearing this on a baguette and adding a little bit of prosciutto? Try roasting chicken and topping the chicken with this sauce about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time – so good! You can also add some of the cold sauce to some sour cream for an easy dip or cracker spread!
Lastly, Dear Reader, if you love sun dried tomatoes as much as I do, why not try Almond and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta? Or my Sun Dried Tomato and Almond Quinoa Salad? Of course, there’s my homemade Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, and if you can’t get to Trader Joe’s, you can always make your own Oven Roasted Sun Dried Tomatoes too!
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Quick and Easy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, add more or less depending on your heat/spice tolerance)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional (only add if you like a sweeter sauce)
- 3 ounces sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and garlic to a skillet and cook the garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the fresh chopped parsley) and stir into the garlic and oil mixture. Stir continuously for 3 minutes so that the herbs do not burn.
- Remove from heat. Continue to stir for 1 more minute.
- Serve immediately or allow to cool and store in a clean mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
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Hennie says
This is soooooo oily, I may have to toss it out!
Maria says
Hi there, my Mom who was from Sicily used to make something similar to this but with fresh tomatoes which she would chop up and the keep smashing them up with the garlic and olive oil until it was pasty and then she would add some sugar to sweeten it. It was very oily but oh so yummy. Even dipped with fresh bread. Maybe you can find a recipe like this one and post it? Thanks!
Condy says
I was never a huge sundried tomato fan until my son served me this. I loved it on pasta but also put a bit on broccoli ( again not a fan) and found it delicious. Yes it was oily, perfect for pasta, but I am going to make it tonight and will likely cut back a bit on the oil. I will serve on chicken and roasted broccoli.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
You just made me crave pasta for dinner tonight. 🙂
Raymond Lai says
I love this oily sauce for bread. Yummy!
Dorris Miller says
I’ve been trying to find a recipe for a dish our favorite Italian restaurant makes. And this was it. I modified it by sauteing chicken breast and mushrooms in some of the oil, then followed the rest of the recipe. It was fantastic.
Its easy to make, but tasted like it was a lot more complex. It is going into the regular rotation of meals, and my husband is talking about having the family over to try it. I’m going to check out more of your recipes!
Angela says
Your spin on this recipe sounds delicious. I look forward to giving it a go.
TinaK says
Made this tonight but had added the whole tomatoes and crushed them. Took a little more time but it was delicious. I added homemade turkey Italian sausage and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing this.
John Rhod says
I have made, but I will. I know what to add to my shopping list as well as a trip to Trader Joe’s.