If you have never made your own sun-dried tomatoes then this post will blow your mind. It's such an easy and simple process. Though I live in the perfect climate to actually dry them in the sun, I used the oven since the insects are just with too many to leave my tomatoes unsupervised for a whole day. If you have a dehydrator you can use that too.

Thank you so much @progressivechef for organizing this wonderful new food challenge @steemitironchef. As you know I'm all for clean eating. So instead of buying sun-dried tomatoes in a jar we always make our own. It is super easy, it just takes time. A lot of time.

So who is up for a pasta pesto with home-dried tomatoes?

Pasta Pesto With Homemade Sun-dried Tomatoes and Broccoli

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Ingredients

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For the sun-dried tomatoes

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1-2 kg tomatoes, depending on how big your oven is
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

For the pasta (serves 3-4)

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4-5 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

For the pesto

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2 cups Italian basil
2 clove of garlic
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (Parmesan works too for non-vegans)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions

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For the sun dried tomatoes

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1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
2. Wash the tomatoes and cut them in parts, gently squeezing out the seeds. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
3. Bake until tomatoes take on a leathery texture. This will take 6 to 8 hours. Toss the tomatoes every 1 to 2 hours. Smaller pieces will go faster.
4. When ready allow tomatoes to cool and store them in olive oil in a jar or container with a lid.

For the pasta

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1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Add the broccoli florets to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with black pepper.
3. Cook the penne )or any other pasta you like) until al dente.
4. Meanwhile, combine all pesto ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until a smooth paste. set aside.
5. In a skillet, heat cooking oil over medium heat. Saute onion for 2-3 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli and cook for a few minutes more.
6. Combine penne, broccoli-sun dried tomato mix, and pesto. Stir well to coat and serve!

Buon Appetito!

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ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL!
PICTURE(s) TAKEN WITH FUJI X-M1

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